Food and nutrition research at the David H. Murdock Research Institute is getting a boost through a new partnership with Research Triangle Park metabolomics company Metabolon.
The DHMRI, located on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, already does extensive work on testing substances that formed or are part of the body’s metabolism. Now the DHMRI will have access to Metabolon’s technology technology for discovering and profiling those substances as well along with Metabolon’s metabolite survey of more than 4,000 biochemicals.
The non-profit DHMRI is the the core laboratory on the N.C. Research Campus, home to 16 corporate, university and health care entities focused on research in human health, agriculture and nutrition.
No financial terms of the partnership with Metabolon were disclosed.
But privately-held Metabolon has parlayed its expertise in finding and identifying biochemicals into applications for medical diagnostics as well as nutrition. Metabolytics, Metabolon’s biomarker discovery and analysis business, has completed over 3,000 client studies for more than 550 customers.
The DHMRI was founded by billionaire David Murdock, who believes that nutrition is the key to staving off disease and old age. The institute is focused on learning exactly how compounds in food affect the body and contribute to health. The institute does much of its research work through collaborations with partners. The DHMRI and Metabolon said that this new agreement will give the institute’s partners additional resources for metabolomics research. Metabolon’s technology will be used to pinpoint active pathways that can be pursued the metabolomics team at DHMRI.
“This agreement leverages the strengths of our organizations to best serve DHMRI collaborators to understand metabolism and ultimately answer key research questions and deliver healthy food products for consumers,” Metabolon Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing Chris Bernard said in a statement. “We have worked extensively in food science and nutrition and recognize that our combined resources are indeed complementary.”
