Foundation Calls for U.S. Research Proposals to Study Links between Gut Microbiota and the Brain

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation will award a $50,000 grant to a young U.S. researcher investigating connections between microbiota and the gut-brain axis.

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Biocodex Microbiota Foundation

May 07, 2019, 08:15 ET

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation (BMF), an organization founded by Biocodex and dedicated to inspiring scientific projects that explore the microbiome, is calling for research proposals from innovative researchers at American institutions who are studying microbiomes.

Biocodex, which has traditionally focused on research of the gut microbiota, is looking for early-career researchers from U.S. institutions to submit proposals for a grant worth $50,000 to fund new or existing projects.

Research projects that explore the role of microbiota in the gut-brain axis are on the rise, including topics such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other neurological problems, but more is needed to determine how the composition of gut flora might impact brain function. This year's call for proposals continues the research on microbiota and the gut-brain axis that the foundation inspired last year. In early 2019, the BMF awarded Dr. Tao Yang, a grant to research the role gut flora plays in the biochemical signaling events that occur between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system.

Biocodex, a global pharmaceutical company and maker of the probiotic Florastor®, has been a leading researcher and provider in the microbiota field for over 65 years. In 2017, Biocodex launched in tandem the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation and Biocodex Microbiota Institute, with the goal of uncovering mysteries about the microbiome as it relates to human health and placing reputable data at the fingertips of consumers and healthcare professionals alike.

The Foundation's annual call for projects is part of a multi-year research initiative to understand the interaction between microbiota and different pathologies. The research grant, worth $50,000, is geared towards early-career investigators with five years or less of research experience. The Foundation has helped advance the scientific careers of two researchers from the United States since 2017 with this grant, which is designed to be a bridging grant to help them become independent or advance the progression of their careers. The grant must be applied to research in a U.S. institution and the applicant may have no more than 10 years of research experience post-terminal degree (time spent in clinical training is excluded).

The deadline to submit an application is 5 p.m. PST, October 4, 2019. Applicants will be informed of the decision by December 31, 2019.

More details about the foundation's National Calls for Projects program, application rules and the application are available at the foundation's website. If you have trouble accessing the application, please email [email protected] for a copy of the application.

For more information on the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation, visit http://www.biocodexmicrobiotafoundation.com/foundation.

About Biocodex
Biocodex is an independent multinational pharmaceutical company founded in France in 1953. It is headquartered in Gentilly (France) with its American subsidiary in Redwood City (CA). The company is focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics relating to the central nervous system (epilepsy, pain management, psychiatry) and gastroenterology (microbiota). The Biocodex scientific teams also work in partnership with leading universities and research organizations around the world and are consistently involved in some of the most forward-looking aspects of medical research. Biocodex has been working with healthcare professionals for more than 60 years to fulfill its mission of developing effective long-term solutions to health problems. Biocodex is now a worldwide company which is engaged in research and development, which manufactures and markets its own products, and operates in more than 115 countries through 18 fully owned subsidiaries and a network of distributors and local partners. The company employs more than 1,200 people worldwide.

About Biocodex Microbiota Foundation
The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation's mission is to support research into microbiota and its interaction with various pathologies. Research is supported through grants given to projects that investigate the implication of microbiota in human health. BMF supports both foundational and applied research, and projects are selected annually by a committee of independent, international scientists.

The Biocodex Microbiota Foundation (BMF) is a non-profit, general interest organization.

Contact:
SSPR
Kayli Berlin
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SOURCE Biocodex Microbiota Foundation