NUTROME · Mining food for nutraceuticals for beneficial microbiome modulation

The human gut microbiome is recognized as an essential element in human health and disruption of the homeostasis between the host and gut microbiome has been associated with the development of various diseases. Diet plays a major role in modulating the gut microbiome, but understanding the exact relationship and its effect on health remains a key challenge in microbiome research. NUTROME aims to develop nutraceuticals (food components with health benefits) based on key dietary components of the Mediterranean diet that are capable of modulating imbalances (or dysbiosis) on the human gut microbiome of two relevant population groups (the elderly, and people with irritable bowel syndrome). Understanding how key dietary components and gut microbiome interact in the context of dysbiosis will require insight of the taxonomic and functional composition and relevant ecological dynamics of the microbiome by cutting-edge microbiome manipulations and multi-omics approach. Joint analyses of metagenomics, metabolomics and metaproteomics data, together with measures of mechanistic experiments in in vitro (cells) and an in vivo (germ-free mice) model will allow me to provide a framework for the understanding of the potential molecular mechanisms behind these modulations. Other original aspects of NUTROME will be the evaluation of not only the impact of pure compounds, but also the development of new forms of presenting them (by encapsulation and/or immobilisation) to guarantee that they reach the target site and microbial population of interest in the gut. Collectively this will allow to design nutraceuticals for dietary intervention in the form of enriched foods or dietary supplements. NUTROME provides an exceptional opportunity to the researcher to gain state-of-the-art expertise in microbiomics along with other relevant research and transferable skills to strengthen her competitiveness for becoming an independent researcher.