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ISPG/IIA/HEI Studentship: Functional Metagenonmics of Colonic Bacteria

Reference	BBS/E/F/00042197
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Michael William Peck
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	114,600
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2007
End date	30/09/2011
Duration	48 months

Abstract

The aim is to use emerging metagenomic approaches to gain information on the function of the gastro-intestinal tract microbiota. Initial targets will be genes involved in the microbial transformation of glycosyl and glucuronyl conjugates in the human gut. Many phytochemicals exist in bound form in the diet, and are only active when released by the action of gut bacteria. We have little information on glycosidases and glucuronidases in the majority of gut bacteria. This information is needed in order to understand which species are most important in these transformations, and what factors affect their populations and activities. Metagenomic approaches allow the construction of DNA libraries from complex microbial communities. In situations where community micro-organisms cannot be cultivated in the laboratory this provides a way to obtain information on abundant, but non-cultured, organisms. Functional metagenomics relies on screening libraries for phenotype expression. An important limitation of functional metagenomics currently is that screening is almost invariably performed only in the Gram-negative host, E. coli. This means that genes from other groups of bacteria might be missed if they fail to express in E. coli. This project therefore will create a new vector for the cloning of large DNA fragments that can be used in the Gram-positive host, L. lactis. This strain is taxonomically related to the Firmicutes, which are a major component of the GI tract microbiota. Initially libraries for functional screening will be made from the genomic DNA of a selected gut bacterium that has been isolated on the basis of its association with plant fibre within the GI tract. The genome sequence of this strain will be available and will support the functional analysis of a gene library expressed in L. lactis. Selected genes will be characterised in detail. Subsequently the analysis of whole community DNA samples will be undertaken using a functional metagenomics approach.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	Diet and Health, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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