Scientist to explore gut microbes for healthy aging with new research funding
The UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has awarded Dr. Aimee Parker from the country’s Quadram Institute a 2024 fellowship to support her research on reversing age-related decline by modifying the gut microbiota.
Specifically, the fellowship will support Parker in determining if the gut is key to protecting brain health and eyesight in aging. She will receive £467,730 (~US$625,140) in funding.
The fellowship is part of a £9 million (US$12 million) BBSRC investment in the UK’s “brightest and most innovative scientists” to help fuel groundbreaking bioscience research. The program will last three years, with the BBSRC funding 80% of the grant’s full economic cost for 19 future science leaders.
In earlier research, Parker demonstrated that transferring the gut microbiome from young to aged mice can reverse some detrimental aging changes in the gut, immune system, brain, and eyes.
It is crucial to understand how such microbial transfers lead to brain and eye protection to determine how an altered gut microbiome can protect people at risk from dementia or sight loss.
“I’m thrilled to be awarded a BBSRC Fellowship. Our gut microbiota has a huge influence on our health throughout life, and this research will ultimately help us understand how we can use that influence to maintain healthier eye and brain function as we age,” comments Parker.
Healthy aging through the gut
As people age, changes in cells and their function lead to degradation in vision and memory. These changes are associated with the immune system, which the gut microbiome influences.
Researchers speculate that altering the gut microbiome composition could prevent or reverse the effects of aging. Studies have linked declining brain health to gut microbiome changes and how microbes alter immune system signaling in the gut-immune-brain axis.
Moreover, the Quadram Institute notes growing evidence supporting the role of microbial involvement in age-associated eye diseases.
With the 2024 BBSRC Fellowship, Parker can determine if the brain and eye protection she identified through gut transfers stems from the whole microbial community, certain bacterial species, or compounds these microbes produce.
Research outcomes could potentially lead to new therapies to combat dementia and vision loss and help reduce the growing social and economic costs of these conditions.
With the fellowship, Parker can determine the drivers of the brain and eye protection she identified through gut transfers.BBSRC fellowship scheme
The BBSRC fellowship supports early-career scientists to pioneer projects, advancing medicine, agriculture, and bio-inspired engineering. Its resources allow fellows to pursue “bold ideas,” turning them into real-world solutions with the potential for lasting impact.
“Groundbreaking, cutting-edge discoveries in biology happen because we empower talented researchers to ask bold questions and push the boundaries of knowledge,” says Dr. Karen Lewis, executive director of Capability and Innovation at BBSRC.
“By supporting future bioscience leaders and investing in fundamental bioscience today, we are laying the foundation for tomorrow’s innovations,” she adds. “BBSRC’s latest fellowships exemplify the power of bioscience research to unlock discoveries that have the potential to provide bio-based solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges and bring positive benefits to the lives and livelihoods of citizens around the world.”
The BBSRC projects cover various bioscience topics and industries, from healthcare and agriculture to engineering and environmental sustainability.
Nutrition for healthy aging
Innova Market Insights data indicates a 9% average annual growth in healthy aging product launches between October 2019 and September 2024. In addition, 33% of global consumers say that healthy aging is their primary concern related to physical health. In the US, healthy aging is one of the top concerns for supplement consumers, along with heart health and weight management.
In response to this growing consumer interest, the nutrition industry investigates innovations to unlock cognition, cellular health, and immunity. We recently spoke with IFF Health Sciences to explore untapped market opportunities.
In addition, the industry continues to leverage and research the impact of the gut on mental health and overall wellness. For example, ADM recently partnered with the Asahi Group Foods Corporation to exclusively market and distribute a postbiotic by the company to support stress, mood, and sleep.
