The RI-MUHC and McGill University form a hub to integrate microbiome research activities
Source: RI-MUHC.
The Gnotobiotic Research Platform, under the leadership of Irah King, PhD, a scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), officially launched its activities in March 2021. Open to the McGill community, this new research facility provides the infrastructure to investigate the relationship between the microbiome—the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi residing in and on the human body—and its impact on health and disease.
“We want to provide McGill investigators and their partners with the infrastructure and resources for our university to become an international leader in translational microbiome studies.” — Irah King
A major asset to RI-MUHC infrastructure, the platform can be used not only for studies related to infection and inflammation, but also in diverse life science fields such as cancer, neuroscience, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, mental health and aging, and beyond.
Located at the Glen site of the RI-MUHC, the Gnotobiotic Research Platform is also an integral part of the newly minted McGill Centre for Microbiome Research. The platform is equipped with advanced technology that allows scientists to precisely control and change the microbial composition of animals—in this case, mice—to measure their role in experimental models of disease.
“The primary objective of the McGill Centre for Microbiome Research is to offer a hub to integrate and synergize microbiome research activities, the outcomes of which will provide evidence-based knowledge for the benefit of medicine and public health,” says Irah King.
He notes that the objective of the Gnotobiotic Research Platform is aligned with the collaborative vision of the RI-MUHC. “We want to provide McGill investigators and their partners with the infrastructure and resources for our university to become an international leader in translational microbiome studies,” explains King. “This summer should be busy for the platform, with new projects already being designed!”
The McGill community is welcome to contact the platform for more information at microbiome.centre@mcgill.ca.
April 28, 2021