Prof. Omri Koren was awarded an ERC grant for his research on the development of a postbiotic supplement for the protection of mothers and newborns

Prof. Omry Koren from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University was awarded the 150 thousand EUR Proof of Concept (PoC) grant by the European Research Council (ERC). The laboratory of Prof. Koren, one of the most cited microbiologists in the world, studies the human microbiome in health and disease and the connection between microbiota and behavior.

Prof. Koren's laboratory studies how antibiotic treatment during pregnancy and nursing affects the mother's and the infant's microbiome, as well as the implications of these changes on the development and behavior of the infants. Prof. Koren's lab findings suggest that aggressive behaviors are partially influenced by the gut-bacteria population and their associated metabolic compounds. In light of these findings, Prof. Koren's laboratory is developing post-biotic supplements based on bacterial metabolites to be taken after the use of antibiotics during pregnancy and nursing, in order to preserve the microbiota composition and function, thus minimizing changes in the behavior of newborns.

The PoC grant is awarded to researchers who have previously won a prestigious ERC grant, in order to advance the proof of concept stage of the findings and ideas obtained from their ERC-funded projects.

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