Farming-linked gut bacteria and protection from childhood allergies
Gut Microbial Factors in Farming Lifestyle and Allergic Sensitization
This project looks at whether gut bacteria tied to a farming lifestyle help prevent eczema, food allergies, allergic rhinitis, and asthma in young children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321253 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If my infant participates, researchers will compare the gut bacteria of babies from a traditional farming community (Old Order Mennonites) with those from urban/suburban Rochester to see which microbes are more common. They will measure bacterial byproducts such as short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan metabolites, and bile acids and follow how these change as the immune system develops. The team will link these microbiome and metabolite patterns to whether children develop eczema, food allergy, or other allergic conditions. Lab experiments may also be used to test how specific bacterial products affect immune cells.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are newborns and infants (and their families) who can provide stool samples and health follow-up, especially those from farming and urban settings.
Not a fit: Adults with long-established allergic diseases or people unable to provide samples and follow-up are unlikely to get direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent childhood allergies by changing gut bacteria or using beneficial bacterial products.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work shows farming exposures reduce asthma risk and links certain gut bacteria and metabolites to immune effects, but applying these findings to prevent eczema and food allergy is still largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- University of Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clemente, Jose C — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Clemente, Jose C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.