Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Trillions of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi reside within and on the human body and together are known as the microbiota. The gut microbiota in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract contains a majority of these microorganisms which aid in digestion through breaking down components of food and providing important vitamins and metabolites for us to use. The GI tract and the gut microbiota interact at the mucus layer consisting of a gel-like substance that protects the host and provides a niche and nutrients for the gut microbiota. The mucus layer is also very low in oxygen making the interaction between microbes and the gut lining difficult to study in the lab. In Canada over 300,000 Canadians are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) a form of chronic inflammation in the GI tract where the mucus layer is disrupted. IBD is thought to be result of a disrupted microbiota-host interaction leading to an exaggerated inflammatory response. Furthermore, patients with IBD tend to have changes in their microbiota with the loss of certain beneficial bacteria and lack of vital metabolites and this is referred to as dysbiosis. Utilizing a novel system we have developed to culture microbes and patient derived cells in a low oxygen environment we will investigate how mucin degradation metabolites contribute to normal gut function. Additionally, we will determine whether the abnormal mucus produced by patients with IBD leads to aberrant interactions with the gut microbiota. Lastly, we will determine whether introducing dietary fibre that feeds beneficial bacteria can restore healthy metabolite production. Ultimately this work will lead to a deeper understanding of how the gut microbiota interacts with dysfunctional mucus and leads to dysbiosis in patients with IBD. Furthermore, our research can be used to help identify therapeutics and preventative strategies targeting the gut mucus layer in IBD.