# Microbiome Core: IDEAL shapes vaccine response, susceptibility to respiratory infectious disease and asthma

> **NIH NIH U19** · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2024 · $106,839

## Abstract

Microbiome Core, Summary
Mounting evidence indicates a strong association between the microbiome and immune development in early
life (IDEAL). More specifically, we and others are providing growing evidence for a role of the microbiome in
the three clinical outcomes targeted in this IDEAL proposal: vaccine response, respiratory infection, and
asthma. In support of the proposed IDEAL program, the Microbiome Core (MBC) will generate and analyze
shotgun metagenomes from 1300 nasal and fecal samples from the existing Rochester Combined Cohort
(RCC) and the prospective Rochester IDEAL Cohort (RIC). Data generation and analyses will be conducted
with rigorous quality assurance measures. The microbiome data, paired with clinical and other omic data,
will be exceptional for an IDEAL study, and the nasal metagenomes will be unprecedented in scope and depth
of microbiome coverage. The premise at the foundation of the MBC is that the microbiome is a key driver of
IDEAL. As a consequence, we hypothesize that the microbiome will contribute to key objectives of the overall
IDEAL proposal, (i) early prediction of clinical phenotypes, (ii) delineation of molecular endotypes among the
phenotypes, and (iii) identification of actionable therapeutic targets. Further, comparative analysis of
microbiomes will provide mechanistic insight to interactions between the microbiome and IDEAL. The MBC has
two Specific Aims: SA1 is to generate microbiome data products, (i) high-quality shotgun metagenome
sequence data, (ii) taxonomic profiles, and (iii) functional profiles. The data products will be transferred to the
Data Management Core (DMC) to support Projects (PR) 1-3 in addressing the above key objectives. SA2 is
microbiome analysis using both taxonomic and functional profiles, focussing on diversity, differential
abundance, temporal dynamics, and interactions. The main purpose of the MBC analyses will be ecological
and mechanistic interpretation of microbiome variability among the clinical phenotypes and molecular
endotypes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10796881
- **Project number:** 5U19AI168643-03
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Bill Mohn
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $106,839
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-03-10 → 2027-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10796881

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10796881, Microbiome Core: IDEAL shapes vaccine response, susceptibility to respiratory infectious disease and asthma (5U19AI168643-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10796881. Licensed CC0.

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