uBiome Awards Grant to Stanford University to Study the Effect of Semen Microbiome on Fertilization and Embryo Development

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Through its Microbiome Grant Initiative, uBiome, the leader in microbial genomics, has awarded microbiome research support in study design, planning, sample collection, and analysis to researchers at Stanford University led by Dr. Barry Behr, PhD, HCLD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Sara Vaughn, MD, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellow, to study the role of abnormal semen microbiome in infertility.

The goal of the study is to analyze the impact of the semen microbiome on fertilization, embryo quality, and pregnancy outcomes. The team hopes that significant findings could lead to improved detection for poor fertilization and poor embryo quality, potentially leading to improved outcomes.

Data collected from the study will include semen microbiome composition from uBiome's patented kits, rates of fertilization per mature oocyte proportion of embryos forming blastocyst per early embryo, a biopsy of embryo, embryo grades, and proportions of euploid/aneuploid blasts per embryo biopsied.

"Dr. Behr and Dr. Vaughn are expanding the limited research on the semen microbiome and how it relates to reproduction," said Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder and CEO of uBiome. "We are excited to support the Stanford team for this fascinating and novel study."

Dr. Behr is a nationally and internationally renowned clinical and scientific leader in the research and advances of human reproduction. He is a professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology - Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, is a member of Bio-X, and a member of Maternal & Child Health Research Institute. Additionally, Dr. Behr was the first non-MD President of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society and has been appointed as program chair of several professional meetings. He developed a culture medium for embryo culture to the blastocyst stage, which improved pregnancy and implantation rates and reduced the risks of multiple gestation in IVF, and has authored over 90 peer-reviewed publications, 170 abstracts, and 14 book chapters.

About the grant, Dr. Behr said, "We are grateful to receive our grant through uBiome's Microbiome Grant Initiative. There is very little known about the role of the semen microbiome and its relationship to reproductive outcomes. We are honored to be working with uBiome on this important subject."

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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