Development of Probiotics for Human Health (ON-253)

Desired discipline(s): Biochemistry / Molecular biology, Life Sciences, Food science
Company: DoseBiome Inc.
Project Length: 6 months to 1 year
Preferred start date: 09/02/2019
Language requirement: English
Location(s): Toronto, ON, Canada; Canada
No. of positions: 1
Preferred institutions: University of Toronto

About the company: 

DoseBiome finds unique ways to manage your microbiome through different actives like probiotics. We’re small but mighty – and are always on the lookout for people who share our vision. DoseBiome is located in the heart of downtown Toronto in the MaRS Discovery District, North America’s largest urban innovation hub. Aside from great people and a sweet location, we’re a registered B Corp and are proud to offer opportunities to give back to the community while operating sustainably.

Project Description:

DoseBiome has isolated hundreds of candidate probiotic strains for future commercial usage.  This project aims to determine the suitability of the candidate strains for their target usage.  The research will involve screening hundreds of candidate strains to test for their activity, safety, and suitability for manufacturing processes.  The research will directly lead to a cocktail of probiotic strains which can be further validated in animal models and in a clinical setting.  A second, smaller project will also be undertaken by the intern, involving the processing and analysis of human samples from a probiotic clinical trial.

This postdoctoral fellowship is in Professor Dana Philpott’s research group at the University of Toronto.

Research Objectives:

Project 1.  Screen hundreds of candidate probiotic strains for probiotic suitability.

Project 2.  Detection of probiotic (unrelated to Project 1) in clinical trial samples.

Methodology:

1.  Screening for probiotic suitability:

SCFA production
Adherence/Colonization to intestinal epithelial cells (IEC)
Toxicity/Cytokine profile of IEC after probiotic exposure
Antagonism to gastrointestinal pathogens
Tolerance to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids

2.  Detection of probiotic in clinical trial samples:

DNA extraction
qPCR

Expertise and Skills Needed

Microbiology
Tissue Culture
HPLC
Molecular Biology

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and CV to careers@dosebiome.com.