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Abstract or Project Description

Abstract or Project Description

Hope House began in 1998 providing cutting edge programs to strengthen families and, in particular, the relational bonds between children and their fathers imprisoned far from home. Their goals include reducing the isolation, stigma, shame and risk these families experience when fathers and husbands are imprisoned, and to raise public awareness about this most at-risk population.

Abstract or Project Description

To support low-income visual artists in San Francisco.

Abstract or Project Description

The intestinal microbiota is the collective term used to described the microbial community living in our intestine and playing important roles. However, the intestinal microbiota is also playing a central role in the development of many chronic inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We previously reported, in mice, that the consumption of dietary emulsifiers, a food additive broadly used by the food industry to improve texture and extend shelf life of processed food, is able to detrimentally alter the intestinal microbiota, promoting the development of intestinal inflammation. In the current research project, we propose to test the impact of dietary emulsifier on human microbiotas from IBD patients, including IBD patients carrying pathogenic bacteria, named adherent-invasive Escherichia coli and known to be involved in disease susceptibility. We predict that IBD microbiotas will be very prone to disturbance by emulsifiers and that such disturbances may initiate/drive intestinal inflammation. The study of the impact of dietary emulsifiers on IBD-derived microbiota may advance a general paradigm of understanding non-genetic factors that can drive IBD development and promote disease flares. Moreover, our studies may result in dietary advice for those at risk of or suffering from IBD.

Abstract or Project Description

A new experimental performance piece grounded in research of the intersections of movement, culture, sensory difference, and physical diversity in live performance. (in)Visible will address the disproportionate prevalence in our culture of sight as a tool of perception and will explore more diverse modes of perceiving.

Abstract or Project Description

Established in 1986 to support Joe Goode’s artistic endeavors, the Joe Goode Performance Group (JGPG) became a radical voice during the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, blending text, gestures, humor and dance to promote connection and compassion. Recognized in 2019 as a Legacy Business for its history of centering the Queer experience, JGPG is celebrated for its innovative site-responsive installations and intimate theatrical performances.

Abstract or Project Description

To support archiving the Curve Magazine Collection.

Abstract or Project Description

Commons Archive will foster connections across race, generation and class to address the dissolution of neighborhood networks by displacement and gentrification. The project will engage residents of North Oakland’s Golden Gate neighborhood to create a collective memory bank through citizen history trainings, community mapping and restorative justice listening sessions. The stories will be translated into projections and banners displayed along San Pablo Avenue.

Abstract or Project Description

To support enhancements in infrastructure and programming to better serve adults with moderate to severe developmental disabilities.

Abstract or Project Description

At The Learning Tree Cultural Preparatory School, learning is a joyous experience where students are prepared for a changing world through a curriculum that integrates academics and the arts.

Abstract or Project Description

To support LEMO Foundation in enriching the lives of low-income youth in their community through athletics, academics and life-skills

Abstract or Project Description

Lend a Hand’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of underserved children, youth and families in Oakland/Alameda County by offering educational support, financial literacy, health and wellness resources, basic needs, cultural and sporting activities.

Abstract or Project Description

To support the academic growth and proficiency of English Language Learners with a multi-pronged approach: 1) a summer program to develop kindergarten-readiness skills for incoming kindergarten students; and 2) a professional development program for teachers, SEEDS of Learning, which will help teachers develop their capacity to integrate English Language Development strategies into daily instruction.

Abstract or Project Description

To support existing Learning Station in Oakland Unified School District classrooms and transition e-readers classrooms to use Kidappolis, a learning application software. Litlab will launch Kidappolis in Oakland  to increase access to high quality, personalized, and engaging early learning content.

Abstract or Project Description

To support Lotus Bloom’s and Allendale Elementary School’s vision to grow the on-site Family Resource Center to offer a full service of early childhood, literacy-rich programs, for families with children birth to age five. Plan includes: strategic alignment of birth-to-five activities, adding another day to the playgroup program and afternoon literacy program for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students, and case management services.

Abstract or Project Description

The Luggage Store, also known as The 509 Cultural Center, is a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to foster community through multidisciplinary arts programming that promotes diversity, inclusion and dialogue among the diverse cultural communities of downtown San Francisco. They aim to reduce inter-group tensions and stereotypes through exhibitions, performances, education and public art initiatives.

Abstract or Project Description

New drug delivery platforms are needed for the targeted delivery of high-specificity therapeutics to sites of disease to maximize efficacy and limit off-target effects. This is particularly true in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as therapeutics that bind to and neutralize pro-inflammatory factors have had profound positive effects on the quality of life of innumerable IBD patients. However, the current systemic route of administration of these therapies carries a risk of life-threatening infections and the increases the risk of some cancers. To circumvent these issues, we have developed designer probiotics equipped with sophisticated nanomachines that enable the deposition of therapeutic payloads directly into the lumen of the intestines, delivering drugs directly to the primary site of disease in patients with IBD. To further improve therapeutic efficacy and limit off-target effects, we have engineered these probiotics to recognize and secrete nanobodies, a new class of therapeutic biomolecules with exquisite neutralizing specificity, thus further limiting off-target effects. Herein, we propose to test the efficacy of these probiotics in multiple mouse preclinical models of IBD as a first step in the development of these probiotics as a new paradigm for the treatment of patients with both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Abstract or Project Description

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) show that the human gene ITLN1 is associated with Crohn’s disease. A common form of this gene is present in a substantial fraction of individuals with the disease. The functional significance of this association is unknown. A critical step in using genetic information to develop treatments with the potential to benefit patients with Crohn’s disease is figuring out the function of the forms of genes associated with the disease. We propose to test (1) the function of ITLN-1 (the protein produced by ITLN1) in intestine-derived models of Crohn’s disease, focusing on a hypothesis based in large part on our preliminary data showing that ITLN-1 contributes to the interaction of normal gut bacteria with the gut lining; and (2) the role in this process of a particular protein produced by bacteria associated with Crohn’s disease. Insights gained from the proposed studies have the potential to serve as the basis for the development of treatments that could control or prevent illness in individuals carrying Crohn’s disease-associated forms of the ITLN1 gene.

Abstract or Project Description

Humans evolved with, and continue to harbor, trillions of microorganisms living inside or on our bodies. As a result, these microbes play fundamental roles in our health. The last 20 years of research has focused almost exclusively on our resident bacteria. New technologies have enabled identification of viruses within the intestine, i.e. “the virome”. Moreover, recent studies indicate that the gut virome is significantly altered in patients with IBD, and that viruses can have a protective function in mice. However, the contribution of the virome to a healthy gut and how changes in virus composition impacts gut inflammation is almost completely unknown. Here, we propose to identify components of the human intestinal virome that shape our immune system in the context of health and IBD. This work will identify protective roles for the intestinal virome – a contrast to the misconception that all viruses are harmful.

Abstract or Project Description

In IBD, the microbes within the intestinal tract, collectively known as the microbiota, are targeted by inappropriate immune responses. There are also a number of changes in the microbiota composition that are thought to drive or amplify IBD pathology. One of these is the expansion of E. coli. However, our preliminary data has identified select E. coli isolates that limit intestinal pathology in mouse models of colitis by activating intestinal macrophages that either limit inflammation or promote barrier repair, two therapeutic endpoints for IBD. These results indicate that while some E. coli may amplify disease, others may protect against it. Understanding these differences will allow us to develop novel therapeutics.