How common antibiotics change your gut microbes, immune system, and metabolism
Microbial, immune, metabolic perturbations by antibiotics (MIME study)
Healthy adults are given short courses of amoxicillin or azithromycin so researchers can track how these antibiotics change gut microbes, immune responses, and metabolism over weeks to months.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11257304 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be randomly assigned to take a commonly used antibiotic (amoxicillin or azithromycin) for 5–7 days. Study staff will collect stool, blood, and other samples before treatment and at multiple visits over the following weeks and months to measure microbes, metabolic markers, and immune signals. The trial uses genetic (metagenomic) testing of microbes plus laboratory tests of metabolism and immunity to map changes over time. Clinical follow-up at the research center will track how long any changes last and whether they reverse.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Healthy adults aged 21 and older who can take a short antibiotic course and commit to giving stool, blood, and other samples over several months are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People under 21, those with active infections requiring different treatment, long-term antibiotic use, or major immune/metabolic disorders may not be eligible or benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors prescribe antibiotics more safely by revealing longer-term effects on the microbiome, immunity, and metabolism.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies show microbiome-driven metabolic and immune changes after antibiotics and smaller human studies report short-term effects, but randomized human trials with prolonged follow-up are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blaser, Martin J — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Blaser, Martin J
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.