Project description
Mapping the dietary path from mother to infant
A healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meat and plenty of nutrients in the period before and during pregnancy play an important role because the dietary habits of mothers have a big impact on the metabolic health of their babies in the future. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the METABOFLOW project aims to study the metabolic processes. In particular, it will focus on the transport from mother to infant of bioactive plant compounds (phenolic and carotenoid antioxidants) in the womb and during breastfeeding. Unfortunately, most women do not meet the recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake. The project’s goal is to provide actionable insight to shape policy and inform decisions designed to reduce health inequalities.
Objective
METABOFLOW aims to unravel the metabolic transfer of plant-derived bioactive compounds from mother to infant during pregnancy and lactation. Fruits and vegetables, the main dietary sources of phenolics, carotenoids, and alkaloids, provide compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial properties. These bioactives are increasingly recognized for their potential role in fetal growth, neurodevelopment, immune competence, and long-term health. However, more than 85% of pregnant and lactating women fail to reach the WHO-recommended intake of 400 g/day of fruits and vegetables, limiting neonatal exposure to these compounds and exacerbating health inequalities. Despite their relevance, there is a striking lack of quantitative evidence on maternal–fetal transfer during gestation and on maternal–neonatal transfer through breastfeeding, particularly beyond phenolic compounds.
This fellowship will address these critical gaps by combining advanced mass spectrometry, nutrition, microbiomics, and statistical modelling to trace and quantify the flow of plant bioactives in the mother–infant dyad. Biological samples from two established European cohorts (MAMI and MILCH) will be analysed, including placenta, amniotic fluid, breast milk, meconium, urine, and faeces, allowing the identification of metabolites absorbed from the maternal diet and transferred to the infant. The project will characterise inter-individual variability linked to maternal diet, gut microbiota, and genetics, and define metabotypes associated with different neonatal exposures.
By integrating multi-omics data, METABOFLOW will generate the first comprehensive map of bioactive compound transfer and its relation to early gut microbiota development. Outcomes will provide evidence-based knowledge to support maternal nutrition guidelines, precision nutrition strategies, and EU health policies aimed at reducing inequalities from the earliest stages of life.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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43121 PARMA
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.