Breathprinting as a window into gut microbiome chemoecology

项目摘要 肠道微生物组通过影响免疫系统的发展对人类健康产生深远影响。 系统，产生生物活性代谢物，直接帮助食品加工。变化 肠道微生物群落的组成和代谢与多种人类疾病有关， 疾病，包括营养不良，自身免疫，甚至神经功能。肠的中央抽吸 微生物组研究是为了识别肠道微生物组成异常的个体，以便进行干预。 治疗上然而，一个主要的局限性是，评估肠道微生物在逻辑上是具有挑战性的。 在患者护理环境中使用组合物。该提案中的研究将提出一种新的策略来克服这一点 路障基于在无菌小鼠和人类中进行的强有力的初步研究，我们的中心假设是： 呼吸的挥发性成分提供了肠道组成和功能的动态表示 微生物群我们将通过评估呼吸、肠道细菌种类和 微生物代谢功能（目标1）。此外，我们将使用两个独特的婴儿临床队列来确定 呼吸挥发物谱如何随着肠道微生物群落组成的变化而动态变化（目的 2）。总之，我们的研究不仅将推进我们对呼吸挥发物光谱的基本理解， 这是由微生物代谢产生的，但也将是确定“呼吸测醉器” 肠道健康的诊断可以应用于临床。

PROJECT SUMMARY The gut microbiome has a profound effect on human health by influencing the development of the immune system, producing bioactive metabolites and directly aiding in the processing of food. Changes in the composition and metabolism of the gut microbial community has been associated with a wide array of human diseases, including malnutrition, auto-immunity, and even neurological function. A central aspiration of gut microbiome research is to identify individuals with abnormalities in gut microbial composition in order to intervene therapeutically. However, a major limitation is that it is logistically challenging to evaluate gut microbial composition in a patient-care setting. The studies in this proposal will advance a novel strategy to overcome this roadblock. Based on powerful preliminary studies in germ-free mice and in humans, our central hypothesis is that the volatile composition of breath offers a dynamic representation of the composition and function of the gut microbiota. We will test this hypothesis by evaluating the association between breath, gut bacterial species, and microbial metabolic functions (Aim 1). In addition, we will use two unique clinical cohorts of infants to determine how the breath volatile profile changes dynamically with changes in gut microbial community composition (Aim 2). Together, our studies will not only advance our fundamental understanding of the spectrum of breath volatiles that arise from microbial metabolism, but will also be a critical first step in determining how “breathalyzer” diagnostics of gut health can be applied clinically.