UCC is internationally acclaimed as one of the top 2% of research institutions in the world with an outstanding track record in teaching and research. UCC is an endorser of the European Charter for Researchers and has been awarded the HR Excellence in Research logo, an accreditation identifying institutions as providers of a stimulating and favourable working environment for researchers. This is no surprise as 62% of Ireland’s most highly-cited researchers operate here, the university has a research income of €401 million in the past 5 years & it was named Irelands first five-star university. In particular, UCC has a strong commitment to research in the area of gut microbiota, gut-brain axis, neuroscience and mental health with clinicians, clinician-scientists and basic scientists working closely together. With renowned international scientists researching all areas of healthcare from basic science through drug trials to clinical practice and population impact, the College of Medicine & Health, UCC, advances knowledge for societal benefit. Additionally, the Clinical Research Facility at the Mercy University Hospital (a University College Cork site to support staff in carrying out clinical research) in Cork facilitates interdisciplinary interactions and links the patients, through their clinicians, directly back to the research, education and training programs. Delivering positive patient benefit is a key driver of UCC research, which is supported by a network of hospitals and associated research centres and institutes, including APC Microbiome Ireland (APC). APC is a leading academic-industry institute deciphering the links between food, microbiome and health, delivering tangible benefits for the economy and society. Ranked for citations in the top 5 microbiome centres worldwide and number 1 in Europe.The DISCOvERIE project aims to improve prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy development of IBS and management of co- and multimorbidities including anxiety and depression. A key role of UCC/ APC in this project is to define the role of intestinal microbiota and its metabolites in the development of neuroinflammation and comorbidities with a view to developing novel and efficient diagnostic, predictive and therapeutic specific-disease biomarkers/panels for IBS and associated comorbidities. In this sense APC/ UCC are well placed as experts in this research area. UCC offers fully equipped laboratories with the space & equipment necessary to conduct all aspects of research and state-of-the-art facilities with APC (http://apc.ucc.ie/research-2/apc-technology-platforms/), including: (i) state-of-the-art imaging technologies (brightfield, confocal, transmission electron, scanning electron, fluorescence microscopy, 3D in vivo), (ii) protein and biomolecule analysis (Western blot, ELISA, HPLC, Meso Scale electrochemiluminescent detection), (iii) molecular techniques (qRT-PCR, in situ hybridization), (iv) flow cytometry, (v) advanced genetic editing (CRISPR) and tissue culture suite, (vi) an on-campus animal unit for pre-clinical and germ-free animal models, covering areas such as immunology, inflammation, infection, metabolism and behaviour (including Open Field, Morris Water Maze, Barnes Maze, T-Maze, Fear Conditioning, Touch Screens, and Ethovision videotracking systems), (vii) human studies platform, and (viii) next generation sequencing and BioIT platforms.
