DiMicroBi · Exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying the Diet-Gut Microbiome-Brain Interplay

Affecting nearly 15 % of children and adolescents worldwide, neurodevelopmental conditions (NDDs) in children are a growing public health concern in Europe and worldwide. NDDs may be exacerbated by poor dietary habits, via altering the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Communication between the gut microbiome and the brain, via the gut-brain axis, has emerged as a potential target to support brain health. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning these relationships are poorly understood, particularly the specific dietary patterns, microbes, and microbial metabolites involved in modulating gut-brain communication. This fellowship aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms through which early-life diet influences gut microbiome-brain communication, and the impact this has on neurocognitive outcomes. First, the fellow will perform advanced statistical analysis on the already available existing data of the MAMI cohort to explore the interplay between diet, microbiome, and neurocognitive outcomes in children. Next, microbial signatures associated with neurocognitive outcomes will be investigated at the molecular level through faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in mice. Finally, to deepen mechanistic insights into host-microbe-brain interactions, the effects of microorganisms and microbiome-derived metabolites identified in human and animal studies on gut and blood-brain barrier function will be studied in vitro models. The fellow will receive advanced training in data analysis at the host institution and in cell-based methodologies at both the host and secondment institutions. By bringing in vivo methods to the host lab, the fellow will boost its ability to translate and validate findings from human studies. This fellowship will support the fellow’s transition to an independent, interdisciplinary scientist, equipped to lead impactful research on the diet-microbiota-brain axis.