The InteractHoMiG project work plan is divided into 10 WPs designed to maximise the use of time and resources to achieve the proposed objectives and summarised in the PERT chart. Over the last year, several tasks have been successfully executed, resulting in significant progress and some achievements were obtained.
We expanded our glycosyltransferase library by more than 200 enzymes and produced the first set of glycans for initial gut barrier function screening using a newly optimized Caco-2 intestinal epithelial model. In addition, we developed a microbial strain capable of producing a complex mixture of HMOs mimicking human milk composition, advancing our disruptive innovation in the field of infant formula and dietary supplements.
A panel of 20 human milk oligosaccharides was screened using the optimized intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cell model. Barrier integrity was assessed by TEER (transepithelial electrical resistance) measurements, yielding promising results , particularly for several newly developed HMOs. In parallel, we conducted preparatory experiments to optimize microbial strains, exposure conditions and readouts for Caco-2 cells within the HuMiX 4.0 model, while also developing a high-throughput screening platform based on a Hollow-Fiber Membrane Gut-on-a-Chip model to investigate host-microbe-glycan interplay.
Preparatory work was carried out over the past year, including the setup of computational infrastructure arrangement, development of OMICS analysis pipelines, refinement of workflows, establishment of SIFR protocol and product requirements, and preliminary planning and brainstorming for in vivo experiments in anticipation of the Animal Ethical Committee approval. These activities guarantee us to rapidly initiate core tasks once the required products and data become available. In addition, we performed a systematic review to collect and evaluate existing knowledge on the ability of HMOs to modulate intestinal barrier integrity. The review focuses on sialylated, fucosylated, and acetylated HMOs, aiming to map their structure-function relationships in regulating intestinal barrier integrity.
For the Precision nutrition portfolio, the InteractHoMiG consortium contributed ideas to develop further and to implement the strategic plan by joining the steering committee and actively participating in working groups. Potential cross-project collaborations with other projects were identified and will be further explored in the near future. Details of the portfolio strategic plan are published in the Publications Office of the European Union website.
