Grant: Emerging Team Grant: Canadian Microbiome Initiative - Full Application

Microbial colonization of the intestine during infancy influences the development of the immune system. Environmental factors that alter the composition or succession of the normal gut microbiota may increase the risk of childhood asthma and allergic disease. Compared to infants born in regions where atopic disease is uncommon, infants in countries with high prevalence rates of atopic disease have lower levels of intestinal bacteria, such as lactobacilli or bifidobacteria. Several studies including ours have linked antibiotic use in early infancy to the development of asthma and atopy in childhood. Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis is the proposed mechanism underlying these associations. Our team will use the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study as a platform to assess the risk factors and outcomes from changes in gut microbiota based on fecal samples collected at 3 time points. Microbiota will be measured qualitatively by high throughput signature gene sequencing.