Ecoculturing the Infant Gut Microbiome

婴儿肠道微生物群的生态培养

• 批准号: 1921592
• 负责人: Barbara Piperata
• 金额: $ 49.6万
• 依托单位: Ohio State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2025-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1921592&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Ecoculturing; Infant; Gut; Microbiome

The microorganisms comprising the human microbiome outnumber the human's own body cells. These microorganisms live on our skin, as well as inside our bodies, including in our saliva, mammary glands, and gastrointestinal tract. The microorganism community occupying the gastrointestinal tract - the gut microbiota - is the largest. Data show that the microbial community of the gut varies across human populations and that the first years of life are a critical period for its development, with implications for the infant's immediate health and biological development, as well as long-term risk of disease. Thus, understanding the factors that influence the development of the gut microbial community during this critical period is essential to inform policies and programs aimed at improving child development and population health within the USA and globally. This longitudinal study explores the role an important, but understudied factor - pathogen exposure - plays in shaping the gut microbial community of infants and considers how culturally driven routines, shaped by family's social and economic conditions, influences pathogen exposure. This project will cross-train undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology, microbiology, public health and medicine to work as an interdisciplinary and international team. Globally, enteric pathogens are a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Even in highly-developed settings such as the USA, individuals come in contact with enteric pathogens in their environment, water and food, and through contact with domestic animals. Despite their ubiquity in the environment, research on their role in shaping succession of the infant gut microbial community remains sparse. Furthermore, while cultural norms, local ecology and socioeconomic conditions interact (i.e., developmental niche) to shape the context in which the infant and its gut microbial community develop, biocultural models have yet to be used to understand the succession process and related infant health outcomes. This study addresses both gaps by utilizing ecocultural theory as a framework to guide a longitudinal investigation of gut microbial succession among Brazilian infants (birth-2 years) living in conditions of high and low enteric pathogen exposure. Over a three-year period, researchers will (1) investigate infant care routines, the meanings caregivers attach to them and the sociocultural factors that structure them, (2) document infant exposure to and infection with enteric pathogens, (3) determine the extent to which infection with common enteric pathogens alters or delays typical gut microbial maturation and affects community stability, and (4) relate differences in gut microbial succession to child health and developmental outcomes. Belem, Brazil is an ideal site for this research. Stark economic inequality provides the context to study a cohort of infants living in the same cultural setting, but with dramatically different access to public health infrastructure and risk of enteric pathogen exposure. Additionally, the research team has a successful track record of productive research collaboration and the expertise to conduct the work. This study will help clarify the role enteric pathogens play in succession of the infant gut microbial community and will further the application of biocultural models for understanding human biological variation and health.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

组成人类微生物群的微生物数量超过了人类自身的身体细胞。这些微生物生活在我们的皮肤上，也生活在我们体内，包括我们的唾液、乳腺和胃肠道。占据胃肠道的微生物群落--肠道微生物区系--是最大的。数据显示，肠道的微生物群落因人口而异，生命的头几年是其发育的关键时期，对婴儿的即时健康和生物发育以及长期疾病风险都有影响。因此，了解在这一关键时期影响肠道微生物群落发展的因素，对于为旨在改善美国国内和全球儿童发展和人口健康的政策和计划提供信息至关重要。这项纵向研究探索了一个重要但未被充分研究的因素-病原体暴露-在塑造婴儿肠道微生物群落方面所起的作用，并考虑了受家庭社会和经济条件影响的文化驱动的例行公事如何影响病原体暴露。该项目将交叉培养人类学、微生物学、公共卫生和医学方面的本科生和研究生，使他们成为一个跨学科和国际化的团队。在全球范围内，肠道病原体是婴儿发病率和死亡率的主要原因。即使在美国等高度发达的地区，个人也会接触到环境、水和食物中的肠道病原体，并通过接触家养动物来接触。尽管它们在环境中无处不在，但关于它们在塑造婴儿肠道微生物群落演替中的作用的研究仍然很少。此外，虽然文化规范、当地生态和社会经济条件相互作用(即发展生态位)以塑造婴儿及其肠道微生物群落发展的环境，但生物文化模型尚未用于理解继承过程和相关的婴儿健康结果。这项研究解决了这两个差距，利用生态文化理论作为框架，指导对生活在高和低肠道病原体暴露条件下的巴西婴儿(出生-2岁)的肠道微生物演替进行纵向调查。在三年的时间里，研究人员将(1)调查婴儿护理常规、照顾者对它们的意义以及构成它们的社会文化因素，(2)记录婴儿对肠道病原体的暴露和感染，(3)确定感染常见肠道病原体改变或延迟典型肠道微生物成熟并影响社区稳定性的程度，以及(4)将肠道微生物演替的差异与儿童健康和发育结果联系起来。巴西的贝伦是进行这项研究的理想地点。赤裸裸的经济不平等为研究一群生活在相同文化环境中、但获得公共卫生基础设施的机会和肠道病原体暴露风险截然不同的婴儿提供了背景。此外，研究团队拥有卓有成效的研究协作和开展工作的专业知识的成功记录。这项研究将有助于阐明肠道病原体在婴儿肠道微生物群落中的作用，并将进一步应用生物文化模型来了解人类的生物变异和健康。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。