Linking gut microbes and body chemistry with new network tools
Statistical Methods for Network-based Integrative Analysis of Microbiome Data
This project develops new math and computer tools to help researchers connect gut microbes and metabolites with health for people whose conditions involve the microbiome.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11187250 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers at Fred Hutch will build and improve statistical and network methods that combine microbiome data (who lives in your gut) with other body chemistry measures like metabolites. The team will handle common microbiome data challenges such as many zero values, relative counts, and biological relationships among microbes and samples. Their plan includes joint analysis of microbial and metabolite networks, new ways to reduce complex data while using biological prior knowledge, and frameworks to link microbial functional pathways to host health. These methods will be tested on existing and new multi-omics datasets to check reliability and power.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have provided or are willing to provide stool, blood, or other biospecimens for microbiome and metabolomics research—especially adults with conditions thought to involve the gut microbiome—would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients who cannot or will not provide biological samples, or whose conditions are not linked to the microbiome, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this methods-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could help pinpoint microbial pathways tied to disease and guide better diagnostics or treatment ideas.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have found microbiome biomarkers, but combining microbial and metabolite networks with these rigorous statistical approaches is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ma, Jing — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Ma, Jing
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.