MUC | The microbial degradation and utilization of mucin by Bacteroides in ulcerative colitis

Summary
The gastrointestinal tract is colonized by a community of microbes, the microbiota, which has a significant impact on human health and nutrition. The mucus gel layer structure provides the barrier between the microbiota and the intestine preventing the occurrence of the inflammation process. Indeed, an altered microbiota (towards mucus degrading bacteria) and defects in the mucus structure have been shown to be associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis.
Understanding how members of the microbiota can alter mucin composition, can, potentially, be deployed to ensure that the structure of this ecosystem maximizes human health. This approach, however, is limited by a lack of understanding how mucins are metabolized by the microbiota. Significantly, available genomic/metagenomics sequence data of the microbiota presents an exciting, but so far, unfulfilled, opportunity to make decisive advances in our understanding of mucin degradation by members of this ecosystem. In this project I will seek to combine this genomic information with in vivo studies to understand the mechanisms of mucin utilization by the human microbiota and the impact on UC development. The data from the research programme will underpin the development of future therapeutic strategies to improve human health.
The fellow is Portuguese and is now completing her PhD at the Newcastle University, UK. The fellow has experience in enzyme activity screening, enzymatic characterization and structural biology. In this fellowship she will have the opportunity to develop skills in genetic manipulation of anaerobic bacteria, microbiota in vivo (mouse) studies and structural analysis of O-glycans. This fellowship will enable the fellow develop her current skill set to include methodologies and approaches so that the molecular analysis of the target enzymes can be placed within a biological context.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/748336
Start date: 01-09-2017
End date: 31-08-2020
Total budget - Public funding: 247 059,00 Euro - 247 059,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

The gastrointestinal tract is colonized by a community of microbes, the microbiota, which has a significant impact on human health and nutrition. The mucus gel layer structure provides the barrier between the microbiota and the intestine preventing the occurrence of the inflammation process. Indeed, an altered microbiota (towards mucus degrading bacteria) and defects in the mucus structure have been shown to be associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis.
Understanding how members of the microbiota can alter mucin composition, can, potentially, be deployed to ensure that the structure of this ecosystem maximizes human health. This approach, however, is limited by a lack of understanding how mucins are metabolized by the microbiota. Significantly, available genomic/metagenomics sequence data of the microbiota presents an exciting, but so far, unfulfilled, opportunity to make decisive advances in our understanding of mucin degradation by members of this ecosystem. In this project I will seek to combine this genomic information with in vivo studies to understand the mechanisms of mucin utilization by the human microbiota and the impact on UC development. The data from the research programme will underpin the development of future therapeutic strategies to improve human health.
The fellow is Portuguese and is now completing her PhD at the Newcastle University, UK. The fellow has experience in enzyme activity screening, enzymatic characterization and structural biology. In this fellowship she will have the opportunity to develop skills in genetic manipulation of anaerobic bacteria, microbiota in vivo (mouse) studies and structural analysis of O-glycans. This fellowship will enable the fellow develop her current skill set to include methodologies and approaches so that the molecular analysis of the target enzymes can be placed within a biological context.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2016

Update Date

28-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
MSCA-IF-2016