Functional probiotic foods to enhance disease treatment and prevention

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There has been an ever-increasing demand for natural health products and each month in Canada new functional foods are introduced. However, there are limited scientific and clinical data to validate the health benefits of these foods and supplements. One of the fastest growing areas is probiotics. We hypothesize that strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have the ability to modulate inflammatory and infectious processes, and if these organisms or their active by-products are harnessed correctly, they can provide new ways to alleviate conditions that afflict many Canadians. Overall objectives of this proposal: 1 .Generate the scientific data suitable for the creation of functional foods or dietary supplements that have immune modulation (anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral) properties and probiotics that are anti-bacterial and augment the potency of antibiotics. 2.Transfer these technologies to Canadian companies. 3.Train at least 5 PhD scientists and 10 undergraduate students to work in the rapidly expanding area of probiotics. The studies proposed herein, provide a strong basis for Canada to become a leader in the application of bacteria and their by-products to several of the leading health problems facing the country: namely, viral and bacterial infections, and chronic inflammatory conditions. The grant will provide critical infrastructure support for not only the studies proposed, but also to expand the pool of trained personnel for future roles in private and public sector R&D, food and biotech manufacturing, marketing, sales, and regulatory and teaching positions. Basic and applied science will be the foundation for a thriving functional food and natural health product industry.