Renato Polimanti, PhD, postdoctoral associate in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, has been named a finalist in the biotech company uBiome’s academic grant program.
The winner of the award will receive a grant of $100,000 in microbiome sampling kits and comprehensive 16S lab analysis for their groundbreaking microbiome research.
The title of Polimanti's project is, "Dissecting the Genetic Basis of Human-Microbial Oral Interactome in the Context of Smoking and Drinking Behaviors." The overall goal of the project is to begin to reveal presently unknown interactions between host and oral microbiome in the context of smoking and drinking behaviors.
According to Polimanti’s grant application, “The oral microbiome plays a relevant role in determining the risk of several pathologic conditions (e.g., upper aerodigestive tract cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory bowel diseases). Drinking and smoking behaviors have been also demonstrated to affect the oral microbiome ecosystem. The human-microbial oral interactome is likely the most important determinant of physiological and pathological conditions related to the oral microbiome, but to our knowledge no genome-wide investigation has been performed. This lack strongly encourages us to deepen the understanding of the genetics of host-microbiome interaction, and smoking and drinking behaviors represent strong candidates as relevant modulators of human-microbial oral interactome.”
To view a web presentation of Dr. Polimanti's proposal and to support his application click here.