SYNergize: Understanding spore-forming gut bacteria biology to target pathogens

Introduction

Our intestinal microbiota consists of a dense community of microorganisms, highly adapted to the human gastrointestinal tract. Shared species between individuals indicate the presence of evolved and efficient transmission routes that ensure colonization of beneficial bacterial species.

Research Focus

Research has traditionally focused on blocking enteric pathogen transmission routes as a means to prevent disease. However, a greater focus on understanding the transmission routes of commensal gut bacteria is required to promote health.

Importance of Spores

Spores are resilient structures that maintain bacterial integrity in a dormant state for extended periods. My previous work has shown that spore formation is a prevalent phenotype in the intestinal microbiota that promotes transmission of anaerobic gut bacteria by maintaining viability in adverse aerobic environmental conditions until ingested by a new host.

Knowledge Gaps

Despite its importance, sporulation processes in commensal gut bacteria remain poorly understood.

Project Objectives

SYNergize will:

1. Characterize the metabolic capabilities of gut spore-formers.
2. Analyze spore composition and the environmental cues involved in spore formation and germination.
3. Identify combinations of bacteria and nutrients that inhibit enteric pathogens.

Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance

SYNergize also seeks to provide new approaches to target the problem of increasing antimicrobial resistance in European healthcare systems. These probiotic isolate and prebiotic nutrient combinations can be used to create ‘synbiotics’, rationally designed and ingested to decolonize gut pathogens.

Potential Applications

A deeper understanding of sporulation processes could also allow spores to be used to effectively deliver anaerobic probiotic bacteria to the gut. By exploring transmission and colonization processes of intestinal spore-forming bacteria, SYNergize seeks to understand fundamental adaptations of our intestinal microbiota, which could provide new tools to target antibiotic-resistant pathogens.