Completed: Multi'omics Approach Towards Deciphering the Influence of the Microbiome on Preterm Birth

As a co-investigator on this project, Dr. Amy McGuire is providing ethical oversight and consultation on ethical issues as they arise, including challenges regarding banked biospecimens.

The scientific purpose of the study is to explore the underlying factors influencing a woman’s risk of preterm birth. With a longitudinal, case-cohort based approach, investigators will use whole-genome shotgun sequencing to study women’s metagenomic DNA sequencing, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics of the oral, vaginal, placental and stool microbiome. In addition to characterizing the multi’omics generated data, the project will lead toward the development of a community resource (i.e., a rich dataset) for future large-scale studies on host and microbe biomarkers acquired in this set of preterm, near term, and term births.

Supported by: R01NR014792, National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH