{"id":109341,"date":"2020-01-14T15:07:01","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T01:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=109341"},"modified":"2020-05-08T10:12:17","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T20:12:17","slug":"consortium-microbiome-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/01\/14\/consortium-microbiome-research\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> joins new national consortium to advance microbiome research"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Waimea Valley on the island of Oʻahu<\/span> (Photo courtesy: Waimea Valley Botanical Gardens).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> has joined dozens of academic centers around the country to form the Microbiome Centers Consortium<\/a> (MCC<\/abbr>) to advance microbiome science\u2014the study of assemblages of microbes in the environment and in symbiosis with humans, animals and plants. This field of research stands at the forefront of a renaissance in biology, as microbiomes are increasingly recognized as being crucial to the functioning of ecosystems, ranging from the deep sea to the human body.<\/p>\n

Two researchers with the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/a>, Professor Margaret McFall-Ngai<\/strong> and Associate Professor Nicole Hynson<\/strong>, recently co-authored a publication in Nature Microbiology<\/em><\/a> announcing the consortium and its goals for advancing the far-reaching field of microbiome research.<\/p>\n

In the U.S.<\/abbr> this field has been recognized at the federal level via the 2016 National Microbiome Initiative<\/a>, and Â鶹´«Ã½has been a leader in this field<\/a> for years.<\/p>\n

In forming the MCC<\/abbr>, the centers will share best practices about their broad range of activities, reduce redundancy in their workloads, coordinate efforts to advocate for the field, and advise policymakers. The collective will also provide related training, education and outreach.<\/p>\n