Meaningful microbiomes: Investigation of host-microbiome interactions in liver fluke infections

有意义的微生物组：肝吸虫感染中宿主-微生物组相互作用的研究

• 批准号: 2434324
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2434324
• 关键词: Meaningful; microbiomes; Investigation; host; microbiome

The problem: Drug resistance currently threatens the control of helminth parasite infections in food producing animals, constituting a serious threat to global food security. Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is a highly pathogenic trematode parasite infecting cattle, sheep and goats, to which widespread drug resistance has been reported. As a result, research is focusing on the identification of novel strategies to improve control of these infections. One key approach is the identification of factors which impact upon the host's immune response to infection; in particular, gut commensal bacteria have been identified as playing an important role in regulating such responses. The approach: In this project the student will, for the first time, provide a detailed examination of the impact of F. hepatica infection on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota, metabolites and host immune responses in sheep. A range of state-of-the-art sequencing (microbial 16S rRNA amplicon and RNA seq), and metabolite detection techniques (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas/liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) will be employed by the student to profile host responses to infection. Following this, bioinformatics analyses and advanced biostatistical data integration techniques will be developed to identify host-parasite-microbiome associations at different stages of F. hepatica infection. This study will contribute significantly to our knowledge of the role of the GI microbiome in immune responses to F. hepatica infection, and will form the basis of future studies aimed at improving our control of this economically important parasite.

问题是：目前，耐药性威胁着食品生产动物中蠕虫寄生虫感染的控制，对全球粮食安全构成严重威胁。肝片吸虫（Fasciola hepatica）是一种高致病性吸虫寄生虫，感染牛、绵羊和山羊，已报道其广泛的耐药性。因此，研究的重点是确定改善这些感染控制的新策略。一个关键的方法是确定影响宿主对感染的免疫反应的因素;特别是，肠道细菌已被确定为在调节这种反应中发挥重要作用。方法：在这个专题中，学生将首次提供F。肝吸虫感染对绵羊胃肠道（GI）微生物群、代谢物和宿主免疫反应的影响。一系列最先进的测序（微生物16 S rRNA扩增子和RNA测序）和代谢物检测技术（核磁共振光谱法，气相/液相色谱-质谱法）将被学生用来分析宿主对感染的反应。在此之后，生物信息学分析和先进的生物统计数据集成技术将被开发，以确定宿主-寄生虫-微生物组协会在不同阶段的F。肝脏感染这项研究将大大有助于我们了解胃肠道微生物组在对F. hepatica感染，并将形成未来研究的基础，旨在提高我们对这种经济上重要的寄生虫的控制。