UCC is looking for volunteers

 

The Cork public are being asked to participate in a study concerned with microbes. The new research study is being done by Alimentary Pharmabotic Centre (APC) Microbiome Ireland and aims to study microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi) which live inside all of us and contribute greatly to our health.

The Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) research center at UCC, are looking for members of the public to get involved in their research that should take place over a six week period and should involve three university visits. The study will be investigating the role of diet in stress and anxiety. The volunteers should be between the ages of 18 and 59, should all be non smokers and should have poor dietary habits. The participants should be all willing to follow dietary advice for a period of four weeks.

Microbiomes are incredibly important for our health. Many of civilization's more modern diseases are due in part to a reduction in the diversity of microbens in and on our bodies. There are also links between these changes in the microbes and the increase of things like obesity, diabetes, allergies and chronic inflammatory diseases. APC scientists at UCC and Teagasc have made many important contributions to research over the past 16 years. Examples include linking food and microbial diversity with health, discovering new anti-microbials and anti-inflammatories and developing templates for future foods.

While researchers will not be diagnosing any diseases or providing medical advice of any kind, they will be able to discover more about the crucial relationship between our microbiome and our health.

If you are interested in participating in this study, contact Dr Kirsten Berding-Harold by email kirsten.berdingharold@ucc.ie. Expenses incurred will be covered upon completion of the study.