The Duchossois Family Institute was established in 2017 with the goal of enhancing human health by investigating the microbiome and its impact on the immune system. Technical, bioinformatic, and computational advances have enabled us to precisely identify and characterize the microbes colonizing humans and other mammals. Translating laboratory and experimental discoveries into clinical therapies that enhance the health of individuals and human populations is a major challenge. The DFI is working with laboratory investigators and clinicians to correlate microbiome compositions with disease susceptibility or resistance, with the goal of identifying targetable mechanisms to prevent or ameliorate disease. To accelerate the development of microbiome-targeting therapeutics, the DFI has established core facilities, assembled teams of investigators, and developed manufacturing capacity to conduct clinical trials to enhance health by optimizing microbiome compositions and functions.

The microbiome’s impact on human health is widely recognized and well-established. The DFI and investigators at the University of Chicago are excited to be leading the way into a new era of enhancing health by microbiome optimization.