Projects per year
Organisation profile
Organisation profile
Our research focuses on understanding how our changing dietary habits, especially the reduced consumption of dietary fiber, impacts susceptibility to various diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis and allergy, as well as to a variety of gastrointestinal pathogens. We investigate the microbiome-mediated molecular mechanisms that impact our immune system via the interaction with the colonic mucus barrier, which is one of the first lines of host defense. In order to effectively address our research questions, we utilize a variety of tools and techniques from high-throughput culturing of commensal gut bacteria to next-generation sequencing, as well as immunological tools like mass cytometry (CyTOF).
Our research exploits the power of synthetic human gut microbiotas in various gnotobiotic mouse models of the multiple diseases. Importantly, we also incorporate translational approaches to shift findings from a mouse model to human cohorts in order to inform clinical care or public health measures related to dietary fiber intake and disease.
The mission of our research is to pursue the “from bed to bench to bed” approach to explore the disease-based biomarkers and susceptibility factors that could be used as critical transition points between health and disease in order to harness the potential of microbiome engineering.
Former name of the Research Group: Eco-Immunology and Microbiome (01/01/2015-31/07/2023)
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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I2TRON Mihovil Joja: Mucin-degrading bacteria in ulcerative colitis: a translational approach
1/06/23 → 31/05/26
Project: Research
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Akkermansia muciniphila exacerbates food allergy in fibre-deprived mice
Parrish, A., Boudaud, M., Grant, E. T., Willieme, S., Neumann, M., Wolter, M., Craig, S. Z., De Sciscio, A., Cosma, A., Hunewald, O., Ollert, M. & Desai, M. S., 11 Sept 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Nature Microbiology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Altered Secretion, Constitution, and Functional Properties of the Gastrointestinal Mucus in a Rat Model of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease
Homolak, J., De Busscher, J., Zambrano-Lucio, M., Joja, M., Virag, D., Babic Perhoc, A., Knezovic, A., Osmanovic Barilar, J. & Salkovic-Petrisic, M., 2 Aug 2023, In: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 14, 15, p. 2667-2682 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Gut microbiome-based prediction of autoimmune neuroinflammation
Steimle, A., Neumann, M., Grant, E., Willieme, S., Sciscio, A. D., Parrish, A., Ollert, M., Miyauchi, E., Soga, T., Fukuda, S., Ohno, H. & Desai, M. S., 14 Apr 2023, p. 2023.04.14.536901, (bioRxiv).Research output: Working paper › Preprint
Equipment
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AllenTown SC Plus Biological Safety Cabinet
Mahesh Desai (Manager)
Nutrition, Microbiome and ImmunityFacility/equipment: Equipment
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Germ-Free Facility
Mahesh Desai (Manager)
Nutrition, Microbiome and ImmunityFacility/equipment: Facility
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Allentown Sentry SPP IVC rack system
Mahesh Desai (Manager)
Nutrition, Microbiome and ImmunityFacility/equipment: Equipment