Microbiome and Metagenomics Center supports precision health research
Official title: The UCSD Microbiome and Metagenomics Center
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11518220 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A UCSD center helps process stool samples and generate high-quality microbiome data to support precision nutrition health research.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | December 23, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,403,346 |
| NIH project number | 3U24DK131617-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11518220 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients whose stool samples are part of the Nutrition for Precision Health consortium or related clinical studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not participating in NPH or not providing stool samples for microbiome profiling would not directly benefit.
What this research studies
The UCSD Microbiome and Metagenomics Center provides standardized stool sample processing, sequencing, and advanced data analysis to support the Nutrition for Precision Health consortium. The project focuses on generating ultra-high-resolution microbial profiles and linking them with clinical data to enable cross-modal analyses. This involves optimized DNA/RNA extraction, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic workflows, quality control, and data sharing through the Researcher Workbench. The work continues to refine workflows, reduce costs, and ensure reproducibility for large clinical cohorts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable more precise linking of gut microbiome features with health outcomes in nutrition-related research.
How similar studies have gone: Prior microbiome profiling efforts have shown meaningful associations with health data and improved research capabilities, though this project emphasizes optimized, cost-efficient workflows.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gilbert, Jack Anthony — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Gilbert, Jack Anthony
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improved MRI guidance for pediatric heart catheterization using autonomous multi-beat image synthesis
Aiming to make MRI-guided pediatric heart catheterizations safer and more reliable by using smart, multi-beat data fusion to produce clearer real-time MRI images.
-
Adapting a combination approach to reduce heavy drinking and boost HIV care and prevention among young men
A pilot project tests a proven program that helps young men cut down on heavy drinking and improves HIV treatment and prevention outcomes.
-
How specific anti-NMDAR1 antibodies in the blood may affect memory and brain protection
This research is exploring whether natural or abnormal anti-NMDAR1 antibodies in the blood influence memory, behavior, and brain protection in humans.
-
Screening and treatment of Chlamydia infection in pregnancy to help prevent preterm birth
This grant studies whether screening pregnant people for Chlamydia trachomatis and treating those who are positive can reduce the risk of preterm birth.
-
Pharmacometrics Core at UC San Diego
A pharmacometrics core is funded to support researchers in analyzing drug data to improve how medicines work for patients.
-
Milk Analytics Core for Precision Dairy Research
A core facility at UC San Diego will provide specialized milk analysis services to support research on dairy biology and human health.
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.