TFRC located at Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland is a constituent part of the state body Teagasc, the Irish Agricultural and Food Development Authority with considerable experience in the exploitation of research and in patenting. TFRC contains extensive, modern and well-equipped research and food processing facilities, and contains a number of specialist laboratories. It houses 454 ‘next-generation’ DNA sequencer (Roche 454 GS-FLX pyrosequencer), which is of relevance to the proposed project, for sequencing the microbiota composition. Research funding via numerous national and international grants has facilitated studies concerned with gut microbiota, antimicrobials and probiotic research over the past 20 years, including such National programmes as Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Eldermet, INFANTMET, and EU projects, including coordination of EU-BIOCLA, participation in EU-PROHEALTH and FibeBiotics. The team involved has extensive experience relevant to CFMATTERS, including ongoing collaboration investigating gut microbiota and impact on host health in humans and animal studies, antimicrobials and probiotic research over the past 20 years, and specifically in relation to CFMATTERS, the prevalence, ribotyping and toxigenic capability of Clostridium difficile in adults with CF.

Prof. Catherine Stanton, B.Sc. (Nutrition and Food Chemistry), M.Sc. (Nutrition), Ph.D (Biochemistry), D.Sc. (in recognition of published work) is Principal Research Officer at TFRC leading a research programme on gut microbiota modulation and impact on human nutrition and health. She has H-factor of 34, and has published over 190 papers.

Prof. Paul Ross B.Sc. (Microbiology/Biochemistry), Ph.D (Microbiology), D.Sc. (in recognition of published work) is Head of the Teagasc Food Research Programme and Managing Director of Moorepark Technology Ltd. His research interests on gut microbiota/food and health focus on antimicrobial peptides, bacteriocins, probiotics, and anti-infectives. He has H-factor of 50 and published over 300 papers.

Dr. Mary Rea is senior Research Officer at Teagasc, Moorepark Food Centre, Fermoy, Co. Cork, and scientist at Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre and ELDERMET. Her expertise is on human pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. Together with Profs. Ross and Hill, she was instrumental in discovery of a new antibiotic, thuricin CD, effective against Clostridium difficile.