Mining gut bacterial genomes to investigate the complexities of the human dietary fibre-microbiome relationship: Towards next-generation prebiotics

Gastrointestinal disorders are a worldwide health concern. Vegetable waste is a source of prebiotics whose consumption contributes to improvement in gut health. Human beings lack enzymes to degrade prebiotics and rely on bacterial enzymes. However, we do not have a full understanding of the metabolic processes involved. Colonic 'dark matter' comprises unidentified microbes and enzymes, and novel bioinformatic tools must be developed to characterise these unique microbes.

This proposal will deliver a platform to design novel vegetable-derived prebiotics that promote specific microbial interactions.

Software to characterise colonic dark matter and to investigate metabolic interactions will be developed. Protocols to assess the in vitro prebiotic potential of oligosaccharides and to validate computational predictions will also be developed.

The outcomes of this ambitious project will boost the quality of carbohydrate research by providing workflows for novel prebiotic tailoring. A set of currently unidentified coding sequences present in human metagenomes will be elucidated to discover novel glycosidases. These enzymes will have the potential to trigger industrial interest for prebiotic production from food waste and as a means of valorisation.

Protocols to identify key bacteria for nutritional interventions will be an integral part of this project. These tools will reduce the cost of developing prebiotics and boost the effectiveness of nutritional interventions, providing economic and health benefits. The researcher will acquire new interdisciplinary competencies, which will enhance his scientific career The researcher will receive training in the culture of anaerobic bacteria and utilisation of in vitro fermentor models.

The distinctive strengths of the host institution in the field of nutritional sciences and the candidate will converge to ensure knowledge transfer and the potential to develop a novel personalised nutrition approach to assess prebiotic bioactivity.