BBSRC Studentship: Developing nanoparticulate oligonucleotides as a selective tool for modulation of complex gut microbiota

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Our gut is a home to trillions of bacteria that play a critical role in the health and disease. Recent studies have indicated the association of the gut microbiota with inflammatory disorders such as ulcerative colitis, obesity, the ability to resist gut pathogens, diabetes and even with the development of brain functions. While our knowledge of the bacterial composition and metabolic capabilities is increasing rapidly with the advent modern New Generation Sequencing technologies, we do not yet have defined tools in place for manipulating or altering the gut bacterial composition to optimise the benefits imparted by the gut bacteria. Diet and antibiotics can modulate the composition of the gut bacteria to improve health, but this non- targeted approach can be difficult to control. The aim of this project is to develop novel oligonucleotide-based nanoparticulate antibacterial technologies to target specific groups of harmful gut bacteria. This can be used as a focussed treatment to rebalance the microbiota, removing harmful bacteria without compromising the ecology of the gut. We will use in vitro human colon models to test the effectiveness of these nanoparticles in reducing the levels of specific bacteria found to be abundant in microbiotas associated with a diseased state to levels found in healthy people. Advanced molecular profiling, metagenomics and metabolomics will be used to assess the effect of nanoparticle administration on the composition and metabolic function of the gut microbiota.

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