Nexilico secures NIH funding to pioneer microbiome solutions for xenobiotic toxicity in human gut

Danville, CA - Jan 2, 2024 – Nexilico has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a novel solution to protect human health from the harmful effects of xenobiotic compounds, i.e. environmental toxins often found in food, water, and our surroundings. This project aims to harness the power of the gut microbiome, the trillions of microorganisms residing in our digestive system, to develop microbiome-based solutions that detoxify these harmful substances.

The human gut microbiome metabolizes a variety of xenobiotic compounds, including environmental chemicals, thereby affecting their overall toxicity to the host organism. Gut microorganisms can alter the toxicity of xenobiotic compounds based on reactions with microbial enzymes. Despite many studies that have demonstrated the significance of the gut microbiome in xenobiotic toxicity, the role of microbial biotransformation in toxicity response remains largely unexplored. Specifically, there is a significant lack of predictive methods to identify potential microbial strains that could mitigate xenobiotic toxicity by transforming those compounds into metabolites with a reduced toxicity profile. 

Nexilico, in collaboration with University of California, Berkeley and Microvi Biotech, seeks to map the relationship between the naturally occurring gut microbial strains and xenobiotics. Using advanced computational techniques integrated with in vitro assays, the team will test thousands of microbial enzymes to identify microbial strains with the potential to neutralize a diverse range of xenobiotics. This hybrid approach combines the high-throughput capabilities of in silico methods with the accuracy of experimental techniques to provide cost-effective yet accurate and actionable predictions. 

The initial focus of this project will be on combating the threat of arsenic, a notorious environmental toxin and the top substance of concern on both the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the US EPA's Priority List of Hazardous Substances. Despite ongoing efforts to remove arsenic from water sources, over 140 million people worldwide remain exposed to its detrimental health effects. In the US alone, millions face potential harm from dangerously high arsenic levels in drinking water wells across 25 states. The successful development of microbiome solutions through this project holds immense promise for mitigating the risks associated not only with arsenic, but also with a wider range of xenobiotic threats, potentially impacting millions of lives around the globe.

About Nexilico

Nexilico is a biotechnology company that employs the power of computational and systems biology to address challenging problems in medicine and biotechnology. As a pioneer in the next generation in silico microbiome technologies, Nexilico advances scientific understanding about the role of microbiomes in health and disease and leverages that information to develop novel microbiome-based technologies. Learn more at www.nexilico.com

About the National Institutes of Health's Small Business Programs

NIH's SBIR and STTR programs are an integral source of capital for early stage U.S. small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has a strong potential for commercialization. These programs invest over 1 billion dollars into health and life science companies that are creating innovative technologies that align with NIH’s mission to improve health and save lives. A key objective is to translate promising technologies to the private sector and enable life-saving innovations to reach consumer markets. To learn more about NIH's Small Business programs, visit: https://sbir.nih.gov/

Disclaimer: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R41ES034979. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.