# Precision Nutrition Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $142,235

## Abstract

Project Summary – Precision Nutrition Core
The Precision Nutrition Core was established in 2016 as a pilot core, offering nutrigenomics services only.
While the role of genetics in precision nutrition has been widely accepted, the field has only begun to reach its
potential, and relatively few examples of nutrient-gene interactions have reached consensus. Furthermore, the
translation of these findings has not been fulfilled, and continued robust investigations, conducted by
researchers with necessary expertise, are needed. A central tenet in the design of the Core is that we can best
meet the demands of UNC NORC members by working closely with substantive experts to expand their
research into studies of variability in nutritional response. Since its inception, the Core’s user base has
increased consistently, from 18 users in 2016 to 42 users in 2019, as have user inquiries regarding services
related to other aspects of precision nutrition—in particular, the gut microbiome. As such, the Core recruited
Dr. Carroll to implement and oversee nutrition- and obesity-focused microbiome services, a previously unmet
need at UNC. The gut microbiome is intimately connected to metabolic heterogeneity through its effects on
energy harvest, metabolic signaling, and the production of metabolites of dietary components. This Core is one
of only two cores across the national NORC system to provide nutrigenomics services. The goal of the
Precision Nutrition Core is to provide a suite of precision nutrition services that enable investigators to integrate
nutrigenomics and microbiome analysis into nutrition and obesity research to advance our understanding of
how individual genetics and gut microbial communities influence individual variability related to nutritional
exposures and adiposity. The Core provides expertise and services in two areas: 1) Nutrigenomics and 2)
Microbiome Analysis. The Core offers laboratory services for assessing individual variation – including DNA
and RNA extraction from blood, saliva, and fecal samples and caloric content determination of fecal samples
and fecal metabolite assessment – as well as customized, cutting-edge research tools – including whole
genome, exome, and targeted gene sequencing; RNA-sequencing; microbiota characterization, including 16S
rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics; targeted genotyping using PCR-based assays; array-
based gene expression profiling; and bisulfide sequencing for methylation patterns in humans and mouse
models. Leveraging the resources available at the UNC NORC, the Core fills a critical gap in nutrition and
obesity research at UNC by providing investigators with the expertise and resources to investigate the role of
host genetic and gut microbiome factors in biological responses to nutritional exposure. This Core is located at
both the Chapel Hill and the UNC Nutrition Research Institute campuses to serve investigators at both
locations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10820526
- **Project number:** 5P30DK056350-24
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Venkata Saroja Voruganti
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $142,235
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1999-09-30 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10820526

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10820526, Precision Nutrition Core (5P30DK056350-24). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10820526. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*