Overview
The more than 1,000 different species of bacteria that colonize our gastrointestinal tract are collectively known as our microbiome. Dr. Daniel Figeys and Dr. Alain Stintzi of the University of Ottawa are developing RapidAIM to gain information on how drugs affect the microbiome and vice versa. The team will also develop a computational program that will combine and analyze these results, to better predict drug efficacy and clinical outcomes. RapidAIM could allow rapid screening of candidate or current drugs for potential adverse microbiome effects. The economic benefits will come in the form of a commercializable assay and computational platform for the screening of human microbiomes.