uBiome Awards Grant to MEBO Research, a Public Charity, to Study the Dynamic of Gut Microbiota in Idiopathic Malodor Production

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Through its Microbiome Grant Initiative, uBiome, the leader in microbial genomics, has awarded nearly $500,000 worth of microbiome research support in study design, planning, sample collection, and analysis, to a team of pro-bono MEBO (Metabolic Body Odor) researchers led by Dr. Irene Gabashvili, PhD, Scientific Director, to support the malodor study.

The goal of the MEBO Research study is to gather comprehensive data to assess possible gut microbiome correlation to psycho-social health conditions. Researchers plan to identify microbial communities associated with flare-ups and remission of systemic malodor, including extraoral halitosis.

The data collected from each patient will include fecal microbiome composition using uBiome's patented kits, diet, inflammatory/disease markers, and mood and mental health data. The MEBO team hopes to provide insight to help the rare subset of patients who experience psychologically debilitating malodor symptoms of unknown cause.

"This study is exciting because it advances our understanding of metabolic dysfunction and its correlation to rare disease," said Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder and CEO of uBiome. "We are honored to partner with MEBO Research to support this novel study on this understudied patient population."

Dr. Irene Gabashvili, PhD, is Scientific Director of MEBO Research and Principal Investigator. A Stanford Medicine and HP Labs alumna, Dr. Gabashvili has authored numerous publications and has led several diverse biomedical and software development projects. In addition, as founder of Aurametrix, Inc., she developed a health-management platform to alleviate metabolic disorders and maximize health and wellbeing.

Maria de la Torre, Executive Director and founder of MEBO Research, said about the grant, "We are very excited to partner with uBiome for this joint project. Part of MEBO's mission as a charity is to pursue studies on gut microbiota to understand gut health and the microbial communities that produce malodor symptoms. uBiome is an innovator in microbiome analysis."

Through its Microbiome Grant Initiative, uBiome has awarded millions of dollars in research support to hundreds of investigators around the world at renowned academic institutions and not-for-profit research organizations, including Harvard University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, San Francisco, Oxford University, and the University of Sydney. Awards include patented microbiome sequencing kits, as well as research support in study design, planning, sample collection, and analysis. To learn more about our award process or to submit a grant proposal, visit http://www.ubiome.com/microbiome-grant-initiative/.

About uBiome
Founded in 2012, uBiome is the leader in microbial genomics. The Company's mission is to advance the science of the microbiome and make it useful to people. uBiome combines its patented proprietary precision sequencing™ with machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop wellness products, clinical tests, and therapeutic targets. uBiome has filed for over 250 patents on its technology, which includes sample preparation, computational analysis, molecular techniques, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

uBiome's commercial products include SmartGut™, the world's first sequencing-based clinical microbiome test, which identifies microbes in the gut for patients with chronic gut conditions such as IBD, IBS, Crohn's Disease, and ulcerative colitis; SmartJane™, the first sequencing-based women's health screening test, which genotypes all 19 clinically relevant strains of HPV, identifies four common STDs, and surveys more than 20 vaginal microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis and other conditions; and Explorer™, a health and wellness product to understand the role that food and lifestyle can play in wellness.

uBiome's platform has been used by hundreds of thousands of consumers, patients, and doctors and more than 200 research institutions around the world, including the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard University, Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, San Francisco, Oxford University, and the University of Sydney.

Since its launch, the company has received widespread recognition including CNN 10: Startups to Watch, the IVY Technology Award, CNN Future 30, and was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in Healthcare in 2016 and in Data Science in 2018, as well as a Technology Pioneer from the World Economic Forum in 2018. For more information, visit http://www.uBiome.com.

SOURCE Ubiome

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