Irish gov awards almost €500,000 to gut microbiome and healthy ageing projects

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The Government of Ireland has awarded grants worth almost half a million Euros to projects involving the gut microbiome and healthy ageing in research that aims to protect the health and well-being of senior citizens.

Announced earlier this month, a grant of €223,415 is awarded to a project looking at the brain, inflammation and the gut microbiota’s role in heart failure, headed up by a University College Dublin (UCD) team.

Also benefiting from the Joint Programming Initiative – a Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life (JPI-HDHL), is the research body Teagasc, which was given €249,874 to look at the formulation of foods that increase appetite and improve bioavailability of proteins in age tailored food products.

‘Partner and collaborate’

“I am delighted to announce two new research awards for Irish-based researchers which allow them to partner and collaborate with their European counterparts in addressing an important challenge relating to the protection of health and well-being in older citizens,” says Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

“The projects selected for funding have a particular focus on the development of innovative food products that are aimed at the prevention of diet related disease and will help overcome issues relating to poor nutrition in older citizens.”

JPI-HDHL mission

The JPI-HDHL was formed to manage the wealth of research emerging in food, diet and physical activity in order to crystallise links between nutrition and health, as well as nutrition-related public health interventions.

Formed in 2011, the JPI HDHL has distributed over more than €85m, funding no less than 39 projects from 26 countries worldwide.

The initiative is currently hosting open calls for research funding looking into addressing adverse and beneficial effects of food ingredients and food processing on hypersensitivities to food (8 April 2021)

Other projects approaching submission deadline includes one looking at the  standardised measurement, monitoring and/or biomarkers to study food intake, physical activity and health (31 March 2021).

“These awards will further strengthen existing scientific linkages and develop capacity and capability, keeping us to the fore in delivering innovation in the Agri-food sector,” adds Heydon.