Breast cancer research backed by a local charity will begin next January at Norwich Research Park.
The project, funded by Norfolk and Waveney cancer charity Big C, will be led by microbiome research leader at the Quadram Institute, Dr Lindsay Hall, with Dr Stephen Robinson, senior lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia (UEA).
The research will test evidence that bacteria which naturally live in the gut can have an impact on surviving breast cancer.
Dr Hall said: 'We now understand that these gut microbes are really important for our health and our wellbeing and one of the key roles they play is that they are really important for programming our immune system.'
The study will look at a group of breast cancer patients, to see if their gut microbes look different compared to those of a similar age who do not have cancer.
Dr Hall and her team will be at the Norwich Science Festival from October 16-27 at The Forum in Norwich, where they will display a giant walk-through gut.
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