UNITING AGRICULTURE AND MEDICINE. Director, Nebraska Food for Health Center

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1 The Nebraska Food for Health Center UNITING AGRICULTURE AND MEDICINE ANDREW K. BENSON Food for Health Presidential Chair Director, Nebraska Food for Health Center

2 Our Food System is Driven by Production

3 What are We Contributing to the Food System? AGRONOMIC / PRODUCTION / YIELD Greater yield per acre Resistance to environmental factors Efficient use of resources Feeding more people at a lower cost

4 What if We Could Transform the Current Paradigm? AGRONOMIC / PRODUCTION / YIELD Greater yield per acre Resistance to environmental factors Efficient use of resources Feeding more people at a lower cost QUALITY TRAITS Improving general health Human disease prevention Human disease intervention Feeding more people food that improves their health

5 The Human Gut Microbiome: a target for novel quality traits

6 What We Now Know About the Microbiome Trillions of microbes in the GI tract intimately associated with our gut development, gut function, metabolism, immunity, and health Abnormalities in the microbiome are associated with many complex human diseases The microbiota eats the same food we do Diet is a major factor that shapes the microbiome Dietary manipulation (modulation) of the microbiome and the gut ecosystem unites Nebraska Agriculture and Medicine

7 Genetic diversity in plants Molecular diversity in foods Species diversity in the gut microbiome The NFHC research platform: powered by Nebraska s Strength in plant genetics and breeding

8 The UNL Gut Function Initiative laid the groundwork Established in 2007 with a specific mission: Robert Hutkins Andrew Benson Jens Walter Dan Peterson Understand the primary factors that govern behavior of the gut ecosystem

9 What are the Relevant System-Wide Strengths? AGRICULTURE FOOD / MICROBIOME VALIDATION MEDICINE UNL Center for Plant Science Innovation UNL Dept of Food Science and Technology UNL Gnotobiotic Mouse Facility Munroe-Meyer Institute UNL Greenhouse Innovation Center UNL Food Processing Center UNO Callitrichid Research Center UNMC College of Public Health UNL Production Agriculture UNL Gut Function Initiative Nebraska Cohort UNMC Frederick F. Paustian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center Pediatric Pulmonology Center and Nebraska Regional CF Center

10 A ONE UNIVERSITY DISCOVERY TRANSLATION PIPELINE UNITING AGRICULTURE AND MEDICINE

11 The Nebraska Food for Health Research Platform Identifying food molecules with clinically proven effects. Crop Diversity Rapid Screening Candidate Molecules Germ Free Mice Tests Primate Models Human Trials A Research Pipeline Aimed at Target Diseases and Health Outcomes

12 What Diseases Can We Target Through Microbiome? Metabolic Diseases Obesity Type I Diabetes Type II Diabetes Insulin Resistance Pulmonary Cystic Fibrosis COPD Gastrointestinal/Hepatology Inflammatory Bowel Disease NAFLD and liver disease Food Allergy Celiac Disease Autoimmune Diabetes Arthritis Multiple Sclerosis Neurological Alzheimer's Parkinson's Depression Autism Dementia Cancer Colon Cancer Breast Cancer Cardiovascular Heart Disease Stroke Hypertension Cholesterol

13 Translational Science for Economic Growth of Nebraska IVS-1 Patented Early stage Synbiotics Novel Dietary Fibers Novel non-fiber food molecules

14 From a Center to an Institute with a global mission Domestic Crops Domestic Diseases Globally important Crops Global Disease

15 Audacious Goal: Crops and Food with Real Health Claims Contains 10 g of NOS (NebraskaOligoSaccharide) *Daily intake of NOS has been shown in FDAapproved clinical studies to reduce risk of active Crohn s Disease by 75%.

16 What if Nebraska Trained the Food for Health Workforce?

17 Food for Health Center The Opportunity and Obligation to lead the World in Uniting Agriculture, Food, Health & Medicine