UCSF, Stanford launch microbiome research centers

UCSF and Stanford are each launching a research center dedicated to studying all things human microbiome. The new facilities point to the growing recognition that the microbiome influences not only human health but also how we respond to treatments. Bay Area philanthropists Marc and Lynne Benioff donated $35 million to get the centers up and running. UCSF’s Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine, which will focus on developing therapeutics and diagnostics for early childhood diseases including asthma and allergies, will get $25 million of the donation. The remaining $10 million will go toward work at the Stanford Microbiome Therapies Initiative, which will work on building new microbial communities and engineering therapies based on these communities of bacteria, fungi, and viruses.