Carleton researchers are raising money to investigate a possible connection between disruptions in gut bacteria and the rise of peanut allergies in North America.
The research could provide insight into the causes of the peanut allergy epidemic and lead to developments that could help hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have a peanut allergy, an ailment that currently has no cure, according to Rozlyn Boutin, the biology student leading the project.
To conduct the study, researchers will feed antibiotics to pregnant mice, and will raise the baby mice on antibiotics for six weeks, she said.
“Our hypothesis is that antibiotic administration immediately following birth disrupts the normal development of gut microbes and increases the likelihood of peanut allergies developing,” Boutin said. “So we’ll check the mice for allergies later on, to see if there’s a link.”
While the team received enough funding from grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to complete some basic research, they’re using FutureFunder, a Carleton crowdfunding website that was launched last year by the Department of University Advancement, to go above and beyond.
“We’re building on research that was released by the University of Chicago in August, and there are countless ways we can deepen it,” said Mark Forbes, associate vice-president (research) and Boutin’s co-supervisor. “From testing different allergens to varying the antibiotics and environment, the options are limitless.”
To fully delve into this research, the team aims to fundraise $20,000. With 165 days left, they’ve raised $2,240 and hope the project sparks interest in the public so that the amount will continue to increase, said Forbes.
Combined with the foundation of research that already exists, Forbes said he hopes the relevancy of the project will help fundraising.
“Everyone knows someone with a peanut allergy,” said Pia Chin, from the Department of University Advancement. “It’s a topical subject for study, it’s relevant and generates a lot of public interest. It’s exactly the type of project FutureFunder was made for.”
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