Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Harvard College's Office for Sponsored Programs received an $832,101 Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), awarded July 1, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2030. The research project, titled "Deciphering Polyphenol Metabolism by the Human Gut Microbiome," will develop innovative experimental methodologies and workflows to understand how gut bacteria metabolize dietary polyphenols—compounds abundant in plant-derived foods and beverages—and how this microbial metabolism affects human health outcomes and disease risk.

The deliverables will include identification and characterization of gut microbial enzymes responsible for polyphenol metabolism across multiple compound classes; elucidation of bioactivities and mechanisms of action for prominent polyphenol metabolites; and definition of in vivo consequences of bacterial polyphenol metabolism on colitis and gut microbiome composition. Building on established preliminary frameworks including genetic tools, enzyme discovery methods, and high-throughput bioactivity screening approaches, the research will generate molecular-level understanding of gut microbial-diet interactions to advance knowledge relevant to inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes prevention and management.