A University of Minnesota (U of M) start-up is commercializing a technology that analyzes microbial communities for human health, agricultural and environmental applications.
CoreBiome is based on U of M genomic technology and informatics tools that allow for a highly advanced level of control, reproducibility and accuracy in providing detailed information about mirobiomes to help develop breakthrough products.
“There’s a growing need for fast, reproducible and scalable microbiome analysis in many research fields,” says Dan Knights, U of M professor and co-developer of the technology alongside Kenneth Beckman and Daryl Gohl of the U of M Genomics Center (UMGC). “Our goal is to accelerate discovery of microbiome-based solutions in human health, agriculture and the environment.”
Whether in the human gut, in farm animals, soil or natural waterways, understanding how communities of microbes behave can help researchers discover new ways to treat harmful microbial processes or harness beneficial ones. Applications range from the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections to removing toxins from contaminated water.
“University of Minnesota researchers are among those at the vanguard of the emerging science describing the powerful effects microbial communities exert on their environment,” says Dale Nugent, venture development executive at the U of M Venture Center, which helped spin CoreBiome out of the university.
“We are excited that CoreBiome, as one of the U’s newest start-up companies, pushes university knowledge outside of the lab,” adds Nugent. “The company will deliver much-needed services to a fast-growing market and should speed the arrival of solutions to significant problems we face in health and the environment.”
Source: University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering
