Dissecting microbiome-gut-brain circuits for microbial modulation of host cognition in response to diet and stress

The gut microbiome modulates various host behaviors, but molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying microbiota-gut-brain interactions remain undefined. Fundamental principles are lacking for how complex microbial communities develop and respond to external stimuli, and unified models are needed to map the dynamic microbial, enteric, metabolic, immune and neural signaling networks that comprise the microbiota-gut-brain axis. To address these gaps, we will investigate how the gut microbiome alters cognitive sensorimotor and spatial learning behavior in response to variations in dietary fat to carbohydrate intake and exposure to oxygen deprivation stress. To do so, we will acquire physiological data from iterative rounds of controlled gnotobiotic animal and multisystem microfluidic experiments, and further use these findings to develop a multilayered mathematical model of the microbiome-gut-brain axis.

References

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Agency: ARO Grant number:

Start date: 1 Oct 2017 End date: 30 Sep 2022

Support: 1 postdoc Reporting: