Low-level Exposure to Antibiotics Disturbs Interactions among Non-pathogenic bacteria in the Gastrointestinal tract

Research Project, 2022 – 2024

In this project, we explore the interactions between bacteria in the human microbiome that are important for community stability and resilience to being colonized by pathogens. We will investigate environmental and genetic factors that are important for bacterial invasiveness and community stability in the human gastrointestinal tract. 

Within the scope of the project, we will establish model bacterial communities and experimental systems for the human stomach and intestine. We will then investigate how disturbances, such as antibiotic exposure, change the interactions in these microbial communities and their long-term stability. Finally, we aim to identify genes that contribute to successful bacterial colonization or resilience to invasion of established communities in the human microbiome.