Objective
Background
Humans and other animals harbour enormous microbial consortia, especially in the lower intestine. My group has now shown that effects of the microbiota on host are far earlier and more pervasive than previously appreciated, starting even before birth from exposure to defined maternal microbial metabolites.
Concept
There is a critical window for development of immunity and metabolism in early life. This shapes infectious resistance, lymphocyte repertoire development and the likelihood of later autoimmune or inflammatory disease. We will determine the molecular mechanisms of how the maternal microbiota prepares the newborn for the critical fetal/suckling/early-independent-nutrition transitions. The core hypothesis is that generally pervasive effects of maternal microbial influences, so-far investigated only for innate immunity and metabolism of germ-free offspring, can be defined in terms of a clear portfolio of maternal microbial molecular signatures and epigenetic marks as the newborn develops with its own microbiota.
Approach
Interdependence of microbial ⇄ host interactions during gestation and lactation will be dissected using reversible colonisation systems under axenic and precisely controlled gnotobiotic conditions. The flow and identity of maternal microbial metabolites driving development and shaping incoming colonisation shall be determined from high-resolution metabolomics and host strain combinations that reveal in vivo signalling and epigenetic marks.
Significance
The project will reveal mechanisms of the earliest phases of mammalian adaptation to a microbiota, the epigenetic effects of maternal microbial metabolites and the resulting potential protection from metabolic disease or immunopathology. Conversely, there are profound effects of early life adaptation on the dynamics of microbial colonisation and the potential blooms and extinctions for the incoming microbiota: the project will define the different mechanisms involved.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences inflammatory diseases
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2016-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3012 Bern
Switzerland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.