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Abstract or Project Description

Abstract or Project Description

Our gut microbiome has a strong influence on a variety of diseases, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Fungi form an integral part the human gut microbiome, and studies in mice showed that fungi may have a substantial influence on inflammation and IBD development, while antibody responses against fungi constitute important clinical IBD diagnostic tools. However, the functional roles of fungi in modulating IBD, and whether they can be harnessed towards new treatments, remain elusive to date. In this study, we plan to uncover the role of fungi in IBD by taking biopsy samples of the gastrointestinal tract from IBD patients. From the biopsies, we plan to grow mini-guts, called organoids, in petri dishes. We have previously shown that it is possible to use these organoids cultured with microbes to study the interactions between bacteria and the gut cells. Thus, using IBD-patient derived gut organoids and specific IBD-relevant fungi, we will be able to identify mechanisms of the interactions between the diseased gut cells and the fungi. Interesting fungal candidates will be further validated in IBD-like mouse models. This combination of different approaches will allow us to better understand the influence of fungi on IBD progression and develop new intervention strategies for treating IBD.

Abstract or Project Description

The Rest and Care Award is a one-time, invite-only program for current and past Education and Arts nonprofit grantees, offering six-week sabbaticals with pro-rated salary, benefits, leave expenses and organizational support, recognizing the dedication and resilience of leaders in our grantee community. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company showcases the rich cultural traditions of West African music, dance and theater through classes, performances and education. Executive Artistic Director Naomi Gedo Diouf has led the organization for 50 years.

Abstract or Project Description

Utilizing vibrant genres such as Haitian, Funk and Hip Hop music and dance, “Healing to Joy” will explore the intricate connection between historical pain and joy, highlighting the resilience of our cultural heritages. This multi-genre approach will foster community healing, encouraging participants to discover joy through movement and rhythm.

Abstract or Project Description

The Rest and Care Award is a one-time, invite-only program for current and past Education and Arts nonprofit grantees, offering six-week sabbaticals with pro-rated salary, benefits, leave expenses and organizational support, recognizing the dedication and resilience of leaders in our grantee community. Dohee Lee Puri Arts creates immersive performances, rituals and workshops for community healing using drumming, dancing, singing and technology. Founder and Director Dohee Lee has led the organization for 20 years.

Abstract or Project Description

To support the Huey P. Newton Foundation to advance the Black Panther Party Museum and preserve the Party’s legacy in Oakland and the national consciousness.

Abstract or Project Description

Monogenic forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) offer valuable insights into key regulators of intestinal inflammation. Building on our previous advancements in characterizing very early onset IBD (VEO-IBD) patients with monogenic CASP8 and RIPK1 deficiencies, we aim to elucidate the key factors and molecular mechanisms of disrupted cell death responses (necroptosis) in these life-threatening conditions.

Our hypothesis proposes that unbiased and simultaneous exploration of thousands of genes by employing discovery-oriented pooled CRISPR screens will illuminate the signaling network governing perturbed inflammatory and cell death responses, shedding light on novel therapeutic targets for RIPK1 and CASP8 deficiencies. In the proposed CRISPR screen, we will assess the enrichment of guide RNAs from genome-wide libraries that are capable of rescuing uncontrolled LPS-induced necroptosis and inflammatory responses in RIPK1- and CASP8-deficient macrophages using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. A set of prioritized targets will be characterized in advanced genetically engineered induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human disease models.

Given the potency of monogenic IBD as a powerful model for defining key regulators of intestinal homeostasis, we anticipate uncovering critical insights into the molecular pathomechanisms and druggable targets of inflammation, contributing valuable knowledge for rare and common forms of IBD according to the translational genomics principle bedside-to-bench and back.

Abstract or Project Description

Provides early literacy and language development for children ages 3-5.

Abstract or Project Description

Eat. Learn. Play. supports childrenÕs well_being through access to nutritious meals, quality reading resources and opportunities to play and be active. This grant subsidizes Tier 3 tutoring programs for 31 OUSD schools.

Abstract or Project Description

Provides TK-2 literacy intervention for students and coaching and training for educators in Education for Change Public Schools.

Abstract or Project Description

EDvance College creates equitable pathways for early childhood educators, prioritizing Black educators through intentional, equity-centered degree programs. The grant supports tuition for five Black educators in Oakland and helps expand networks to increase enrollment of Black Family Childcare providers in their program.

Abstract or Project Description

This danced ritual will incorporate a blend of movement languages that reflect the diverse backgrounds of the dancers of the Malonga Arts community. Using research on family histories, the study of epigenetics and foundational Rites of Passage Ritual Dance, “Asogwe – Rites of Passage” aims to reveal profound insights into the beauty, power and resilience of the human spirit.  

Abstract or Project Description

To support multilingual priorities for students, families and educators across three geographic areas of California, including Oakland.

Abstract or Project Description

Expands families’ capacity to support literacy development and schools’ capacity to engage families.

Abstract or Project Description

Lead Liberated equips education leaders to interrupt racism and co-design antiracist learning cultures. The technical assistance grant supports communications and marketing capacity.

Abstract or Project Description

The Rest and Care Award is a one-time, invite-only program for current and past Education and Arts nonprofit grantees, offering six-week sabbaticals with pro-rated salary, benefits, leave expenses and organizational support, recognizing the dedication and resilience of leaders in our grantee community. Flyaway Productions makes site-specific aerial dances through a social justice lens and trains youth and adults in apparatus-based dance. Founding Artistic Executive Director Jo Kreiter has led the organization for 28 years.

Abstract or Project Description

A multi-media, site-specific dance that supports the transformation of 111 Taylor Street from a carceral stronghold owned by GEO Group into a trans-centric space that honors the building’s legacy of resistance. Supported by a production support grant, Flyaway Productions and TurkxTaylor Initiative will create a public art project in San Francisco’s Tenderloin that unites transgender visibility with prison systems change.

Abstract or Project Description

The intestine exerts the vital function of maximizing nutrient uptake from the diet we ingest, being constantly exposed to external stimulation by food components. Alterations in the timing of food intake and diet composition have been associated with the development of immune-related intestinal dysfunctions, including IBS. However, despite its profound biological and clinical relevance, there is a major gap in our understanding of how intestinal immune health is affected by diet. Recently, we uncovered that gut neurons are activated by the diet, and they can control intestinal immune responses. The long-term goal of this proposal is to determine how the diet is sensed by these neurons that have immune regulatory properties. Our studies are expected to uncover dietary and neuronal therapeutic targets to gut disturbances associated with a dysregulation in local immune responses, including IBS.

Abstract or Project Description

Colonization of the infant gut by commensal bacteria profoundly influences immune development and can thus have significant long-term consequences: promoting durable tolerance to environmental antigens or driving Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Despite the importance of this process for health, how immune responses to the microbiota are regulated during early life remain a significant gap in our knowledge. We discovered that antibodies targeting gut bacteria are transmitted from mother to offspring via breastfeeding where they restrain neonatal immune responses to beneficial gut bacteria. Antibodies are specialized immune proteins that bind to foreign particles, including harmful and helpful microbes. Healthy humans and mice produce distinct flavors, or “isotypes,” of antibodies that serve different functions in immunity. We revealed that the maternal antibody isotype required to restrain neonatal inflammatory responses is IgG, an isotype that has only recently been identified to participate in gut health. Human breastmilk also contains IgG, and a key role for maternal antibodies in dampening gut inflammatory responses has been described in breastfed humans. Here, we will combine new mouse models with cutting-edge approaches to define the mechanisms by which breastmilk antibodies instruct the neonate to avoid harmful responses to beneficial gut bacteria. This work will advance our ability to manipulate immune responses to gut bacteria and thus aid in the development of therapies to effectively curb the development or severity of IBD.