Product/Service Development

Alip Borthakur of the University of Illinois at Chicago in the U.S. will characterize the effects of probiotics on epithelial uptake of the fatty acid butyrate in vitro and in a mouse model to inform therapeutic strategies to cure and prevent acute diarrhea and malnutrition in children.

Bryan O'Hara and Vazhaikkurichi M. Rajendran of West Virginia University in the U.S. are developing a chemically-modified resistant starch that ferments in the colon to restore a normal microbiota that will control chronic diarrhea and combat its resulting effects, such as impaired mucosal healing and the reduced ability to absorb nutrients.

Clare Elwell of University College London in the United Kingdom is using non-invasive optical brain imaging (near-infrared spectroscopy) to assess cognitive function in malnourished infants and children in low-resource settings over time. The technology is relatively low-cost and portable, and their approach could be used to determine the impact of malnutrition on the developing brain and guide nutrition-related interventions.

Gregor Reid of the University of Western Ontario and the Lawson Health Research Institute in Canada, with colleagues in Tanzania will test whether Moringa-supplemented yogurt can benefit under-nourished pregnant women by converting their intestinal microbial community into one resembling that from well- nourished women and by improving their breast milk quality.

Zdenko Herceg of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in France will evaluate the impact of seasonal dietary aflatoxin exposure of pregnant women in rural Africa by identifying epigenetic biomarkers of exposure, growth impairment, and disease risk. This will facilitate the development of interventions to improve child health.

Amy Webb Girard of Emory University in the U.S. will develop and pilot test the use of feeding bowls with illustrations of appropriate feeding practices during pregnancy, lactation, and early childhood, along with sieved spoons that can be used to test the appropriate thickness of infant meals, in an effort to improve nutrition and growth during the critical first 1,000 days of infant development.

Margaret Kabahenda of Makerere University in Uganda, along with Barbara Stoeker of Oklahoma State University in the U.S., will work through local health centers to provide pregnant women with coupons for a low-cost ration of Mukene (silver fish) in an effort to increase women's use of prenatal services and reduce their risk for anemia while improving fetal growth and newborn survival.

Richard Veilleux and Mark Williams of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the U.S., along with Merideth Bonierbale of the International Potato Center in South America, will examine genetic and environmental influences that affect the accumulation of phytonutrients, specifically iron and zinc, in potatoes. Understanding the interaction between microorganisms in the soil and genes in the plant could lead to strategies to alleviate human micronutrient deficiencies in populations dependent upon the potato as a staple.

Aaron Dossey of All Things Bugs, LLC in the U.S. proposes to develop a method for the efficient production of nutritionally dense food using insect species. Dossey and collaborators will identify candidate species and test the nutritional value, shelf-stability, and palatability of a dried powder made from these insects for use in food products to help eliminate malnutrition in children.

Rinti Banerjee of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in India will develop lipid-based nanoparticles containing iron, folic acid, and iodine and attempt to integrate them into cosmetic pastes such as mehendi or kohl that are commonly used by rural women in developing countries. These cosmetics could be used to transdermally deliver to mothers important micronutrients needed for healthy growth of fetuses.