Global Probiotics Council Announces Young Investigator Grant

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Global Probiotics Council (GPC), a committee established in 2004 by Groupe DANONE and Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., announced the Young Investigator Grant for probiotics research program (YIGPRO). The two annual grants are designed to stimulate innovative research and to support young investigators and attract new researchers in the United States into the field of probiotics and gut microbiota."Our two companies have demonstrated their long-standing commitment to advancing research in probiotics," said Sven Thormahlen, executive vice president of research and development, Danone. "This field continues to be one of the most promising for more discoveries that will benefit human health, which is why Danone and Yakult decided in 2004 to join forces and further encourage more research in a larger number of countries." The grants will provide opportunity for researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, immunology, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, and infectious disease to foster innovative ideas, sustain independence, and advance science. Each Young Investigator Grant for Probiotic Research will provide $50,000 over one year.   Research applications should contribute to knowledge about gut microbiota or the role of intestinal flora in health and disease.