Project: Biomarkers for Infant Fat Mass Development and Nutrition

WHAT: Childhood obesity is a rapidly growing problem. Weight loss programs have limited effects and prevention is our only hope to stem this new epidemic. Infant fat mass development in particular, has long-term effects on later body fat mass and thus metabolic health. Lipid profiles may be used as biomarkers for fat mass development and provide predictive biomarkers for later childhood obesity. WHO: BioFN brings together experts on Lipidomics (Dr Albert Koulman, University of Cambridge, UK); Paediatric endocrinology (Prof Anita Hokken-Koelega, Erasmus University, NL; Prof David Dunger and Dr Ken Ong, University of Cambridge, UK); Systems biology (Dr Henrik Bjørn Nielsen, Clinical Microbiomics, DK); Lipid metabolism (Dr Lars Hellgren Danish Technical University, DK). BioFN is coordinated by Albert Koulman. HOW: BioFN will use lipid profiling in samples from two birth cohort studies, Sophia-Pluto (Rotterdam, NL) and Cambridge Baby Growth Study (UK) that both have very precise body composition data. This will allow us to develop predictive biomarkers for fat distribution. By quantifying the dietary effect on lipid metabolism, gut microbiome metabolism and fat distribution BioFN will provide tools to prevent of childhood obesity.

Acronym	BioFN (Reference Number: 556)
Duration	01/03/2017 - 01/03/2020
Network	ERA-HDHL
Call	Call for Joint Transnational Research Proposals: Biomarkers for Nutrition and Health

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	University of Cambridge	Coordinator	United Kingdom
2	Technical University of Denmark	Partner	Denmark
3	Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam / Sophia Children's Hospital	Partner	Netherlands