Nestlé research partnership to address gut bacteria and health

Imperial College London and Nestlé Research have announced the establishment of a research and innovation partnership exploring metabolic health and nutrition.

The collaboration will focus on nutritional science and will initially aim to gain a greater understanding of how the billions of bacteria in our gut — the microbiome — influences our physical and mental health. The microbiome is thought to play a crucial role in the communication between the brain and the gut.

The partners have agreed to jointly engage in preclinical and clinical studies, with Nestlé looking to invest approximately 10 million Swiss francs over five years.

The collaboration hopes to enable both partners to find translatable answers to some of the fundamental questions in nutrition such as:

• To what degree does the gut microbiome play a role in the digestion of fermentable dietary fibres?
• Do metabolites generated by the gut microbiome have an effect on metabolism and health?
• Do specific metabolites impart different brain states and have an impact on centrally regulated phenomena, such as mood and emotion?

The research partnership will produce insights into how we can tackle some of society’s greatest health challenges, said Professor Gary Frost, chair in Dietetics and Nutrition at Imperial. “Diet and nutrition underpin many of the current issues our world faces, from rising obesity and diabetes levels, to how to maintain our mental and physical health into old age. This collaboration will enable Imperial to carry out world-leading nutrition research that may help address some of these crucial issues.”