Témakiírások
Screening and characterization of probiotic microorganisms in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
témakiírás címe
Screening and characterization of probiotic microorganisms in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
intézmény
doktori iskola
témakiíró
tudományág
témakiírás leírása
The gut flora is a collection of microorganisms found in the intestinal tract of many organisms that are essential for several biological processes and influence others through complex, as yet unexplored, pathways. The symbiotic bacteria of the gut are essential for the synthesis of several vitamins and for certain functions of the immune system. Certain bacteria in the gut flora have been implicated in the development of some cancers and certain neurodegenerative diseases. The composition of the gut flora and its changes with age may also influence aging. Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model system for screening probiotic bacteria. The low maintenance costs, translucent body and short lifespan of nematodes make them a more ideal laboratory animal than the more expensive mouse model, which is more difficult to maintain aseptically.
The aim of the research is to develop an optimized protocol to easily and rapidly isolate probiotic bacterial strains from an already established, well-characterized Lactobacillus collection of several hundred strains of diverse origin, established by our collaborator József Kukolya. The interaction between the nematode and strains with a probiotic effect that significantly increases the lifespan and/or stress tolerance of C. elegans will be characterized. We would investigate the mechanism of action by studying the expression of reporters induced by different types of stress. We would also study the probiotic effect in mutants of different pathways that affect lifespan and stress tolerance. We would test the potential pathogenicity of the probiotic strain with appropriate reporters and investigate how the microbiota affects nematode immunity. For the most promising strains, we would also perform transcriptomic and metabolomic studies and test the probiotic effect in higher model organisms with the help of our partners.
The aim of the research is to develop an optimized protocol to easily and rapidly isolate probiotic bacterial strains from an already established, well-characterized Lactobacillus collection of several hundred strains of diverse origin, established by our collaborator József Kukolya. The interaction between the nematode and strains with a probiotic effect that significantly increases the lifespan and/or stress tolerance of C. elegans will be characterized. We would investigate the mechanism of action by studying the expression of reporters induced by different types of stress. We would also study the probiotic effect in mutants of different pathways that affect lifespan and stress tolerance. We would test the potential pathogenicity of the probiotic strain with appropriate reporters and investigate how the microbiota affects nematode immunity. For the most promising strains, we would also perform transcriptomic and metabolomic studies and test the probiotic effect in higher model organisms with the help of our partners.
felvehető hallgatók száma
1 fő
helyszín
ELTE Faculty of Science, Doctoral School of Biology
jelentkezési határidő
2026-05-31