Structure and function of the accessory Sec system in gut symbionts

人体内有大量多样而密集的肠道细菌，它们在营养和健康方面发挥着关键作用。然而，我们的肠道有益微生物如何与宿主相互作用的确切机制在很大程度上仍然未知。在这个项目中，您将使用跨学科的方法，包括结构生物学，分子微生物学，糖生物学和动物模型来破译肠道共生体分泌糖基化粘附素的途径及其在定植和生物膜形成中的作用。这个博士项目将提供肠道中宿主-微生物相互作用的机制见解，并帮助合理设计基于益生菌的策略，以促进人类健康，对抗感染和抗菌素耐药性。

The human body harbours a diverse and dense population of commensal bacteria, which exerts key functions in terms of nutrition and health. However, the precise mechanisms of how our beneficial intestinal microbes interact with the host remain largely unknown. In this project, you will use a trans-disciplinary approach including structural biology, molecular microbiology, glycobiology and animal models to decipher the pathways dedicated to the secretion of glycosylated adhesins by gut symbionts and their role in colonisation and biofilm formation. This PhD project will provide mechanistic insights into host-microbe interactions in the gut and help rationally design probiotic-based strategies to promote human health and fight against infection and antimicrobial resistance.