Knowledge Platform (HDHL-INTIMIC 2018)

Knowledge Platform on Food, Diet, Intestinal Microbiomics and Human Health

HDHL-INTIMIC launched the Knowledge Platform call in September 2018. The Knowledge Platform was funded in spring 2019 and started the same year.

Background

Microbiome science is an emerging and rapidly developing research field and the interest in the role of the microbiome in human health has increased rapidly over the past decades. Recent studies indicated that the intestinal microbiome plays an important role in modulating the risk of several chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and, cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, diet has been suggested as one of the main factors modulating the composition and function of the gut microbiome. However, the progress and impact of the microbiome research field is hampered by the fact that study results strongly depend on the study designs, the genetic and dietary background of the population groups and procedures used to analyse the microbiome and therefore the comparability of data and results is limited. Previous attempts to strengthen comparison, sharing and integration of large data sets have been struggling with the lack of coordination and collaboration between the relevant scientific disciplines and research activities.

The KP will be implemented under the umbrella of the JPI HDHL ERA-Net Cofund1: HDHL-INTIMIC. HDHL-INTIMIC aims at coordinating national and regional research programmes in the areas of food, diet, intestinal microbiomics and human health as well as nutrition and human health in general, thereby contributing to the implementation of JPI HDHL objectives.

Aim of the call

The JPI HDHL aims to establish a Knowledge Platform on Food, Diet, Intestinal Microbiomics and Human Health research. The Knowledge Platform (KP) provides the unique possibility to connect all funded JPI HDHL researchers with other existing initiatives and relevant stakeholders in the human microbiome and health research area.

The composition and activity of the intestinal microbiota have been linked with diet and health, although the exact mechanisms of this complex interplay are still largely unknown. Gaining deeper insight however is prerequisite to:

• develop evidence-based recommendations and guidelines to promote public health and prevent the development/onset of diet-related diseases;
• find new lifestyle-related treatment options for certain types of diet-related diseases;
• enable the food industry to develop healthy new food products.

However, the promising impact of the microbiome research field is currently hampered by a lack of cause-and-effect studies and the poor comparability of data and studies. The overall aim of the Knowledge Platform on Food, Diet, Intestinal Microbiomics and Human Health is to foster transnational and multidisciplinary collaboration and networking in order to accelerate, further develop and increase the impact of intestinal microbiome research related to human health.

Participating countries

Funded Knowledge Hub

More Information

• Call text
• Factsheet HDHL-INTIMIC- Knowledge Platform on Food, Diet, Intestinal Microbiomics and Human Health

Research Framework

Contact call Secretariat: ZonMw (the Netherlands) JPIHDHLprojects@zonmw.nl