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Microbiome

The Microbiome Platform supports Kennedy Institute researchers seeking to understand how microbes that occupy the human body can impact health and disease. Research support is provided via the Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies (OCMS), which combines interdisciplinary expertise with cutting-edge facilities to underpin microbiome study design, sample collection, microbial culturing, microbial bioinformatics, and in-vivo experimental biology. Current work within the platform covers a range of scales, from large cohort-based studies to identify changes in the microbiome in arthritis patients to the targeted discovery of bacterial products that have immune-regulatory properties.

Academic lead

  • Fiona Powrie FRS
    Fiona Powrie FRS

    Professor of Musculoskeletal Sciences and Director of the Kennedy Institute

Co-leads

KEY COLLABORATORS

  • The Inflammatory Arthritis Microbiome Consortium (IAMC) 
    Members of the Microbiome Platform are playing a lead role in the IAMC, which is a multinational collaboration to study the role of the microbiome in inflammatory arthritis.  
  • National Mouse Genetics Network 
    The Oxford Centre for Microbiome Studies is leading a multi-institute collaboration within the new MRC National Mouse Genetics Network that aims to address the role of the microbiome in genetic diseases affecting mucosal barrier surfaces. 
  • Mass Spectrometry Research Facility, University of Oxford 
    Collaboration with Professor James McCullagh ensures access to state-of-the-art technologies for detection and quantification of microbial metabolites (small molecules that are the product of metabolism) which are known to be important intermediaries in host-microbiome crosstalk.  
  • Oxford Genomics Centre 
    Close collaboration with the Oxford Genomics Centre at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics ensures access to next-generation sequencing facilities for RNA and DNA based characterization microbiome samples.  

 

Small research facilities

Funded by

KTRR logo

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