DIET AFFECTS THEBACTERIA WITHIN OUR GUTS, THEIR GENES (METAGENOME), AND THE BYPRODUCTS THEY CREATE (METABOLOME). CURRENTLY, RESEARCHERS USE SELF-REPORTED MEASURES (E.G. 24-HOUR FOOD RECALLS AND FOOD FREQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRES) TO SURVEY RESEARCH SUBJECTS AND DETERMINE WHAT THEY NORMALLY EAT. HOWEVER, THESE CURRENT TOOLS AREN'T THE MOST ACCURATE AS THEY ARE SUBJECTIVE.THE GOAL OF THIS PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROJECT IS TO IDENTIFY OBJECTIVE BIOMARKERS OF FOOD INTAKE. IN OTHER WORDS, WE INTEND TO MEASURE BACTERIA, THEIR GENES, AND THEIR BYPRODUCTS IN FECAL SAMPLES TO OBJECTIVELY MEASURE WHAT FOODS RESEARCH SUBJECTS ATE. THEREFORE, THIS PROPOSAL STRENGTHENS OUR PREVIOUS FINDINGS BY ADDING FECAL SAMPLES FROM FIVE COMPLETED CLINICAL TRIALS WHERE WE FED PARTICIPANTS ALMONDS, AVOCADOS, BROCCOLI, WHOLE GRAINS, AND WALNUTS INTAKE TO ACHIEVE OUR OBJECTIVES OF: 1) USING FROZEN FECAL SAMPLES FROM THESE STUDIES TO COMPLETE METAGENOMIC (GENES) AND METABOLOMIC (BYPRODUCTS) ANALYSES TO CONFIRM THATMETHODS WE CURRENTLY USE WITH POST-INTERVENTION-ONLY (NO BASELINE) DATA ARE VALID; AND 2) CREATING A PANEL OF BIOMARKERS OF FOOD INTAKE MADE UP OF THE BACTERIA, THEIR GENES, AND METABOLITES. OUR PREVIOUS RESEARCH EFFORTS REVEALED OUR ABILITY TO PREDICT IF RESEARCH SUBJECTS CONSUMED A SPECIFIC FOOD WITH 86% ACCURACY USING FIFTEENUNIQUE FECAL BACTERIA. OUR ONGOING EFFORTS SHOW PROMISE IN USING POST-INTERVENTION-ONLY (NO BASELINE) MEASURES OF BACTERIAL GENES AND BYPRODUCTS TO PREDICT FOOD INTAKE. HENCE, OUR PLANS TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL USED STOREDFECAL SAMPLES AND ONGOING COLLABORATIONS TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE THESE EFFORTS AND ADD BASELINE DATA TO CONFIRM THAT OUR POST-INTERVENTION-ONLY METHODS ARE SOUND. THIS PROPOSAL WILL PROVIDE THE GROUNDWORK FOR NON-INVASIVE, OBJECTIVE, FECAL BIOMARKERS OF FOOD INTAKE, WHICH CAN BE USED IN FUTURE RESEARCH STUDIES TO COMPARE TO SELF-REPORTED MEASURES AND INCREASE THE ACCURACY OF DIET REPORTING. IN THE FUTURE, THIS RESEARCH COULD HELP US TO DEVELOP DIET RECOMMENDATIONS SPECIFIC TO INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THEIR MICROBIOTA FOR DISEASE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION. FURTHERMORE, THIS PROJECT WILL HELP MY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BY STRENGTHENING MY RESEARCH, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, AND COLLABORATION SKILLS. OVERALL, THIS PROJECT WILL BENEFIT THE FIELD OF NUTRITION AND MICROBIOME RESEARCH AND MY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTO AN INDEPENDENT NUTRITION SCIENTIST WITH ESSENTIAL SKILLS.