
PhD defence
Paving the way: exploring glycan-driven formation of the infant gut microbiota using synthetic communities
Summary
In my thesis, I studied the infant gut microbiota, the complex collection of microorganisms in the baby's gut. As the infant gut microbiota forms, it is influenced by different factors, like how the baby is fed. These microorganisms use sugars that come from the baby's diet or from the body itself. Some bacteria can use these sugars, while others cannot and depend on the ones that can. This creates relationships between the bacteria and helps form communities. To study this, I created a model and used synthetic microbial communities, which are simplified groups of bacteria that represent a baby's gut microbiome. The results of my thesis report that this model reproduces closely what happens in a real baby's gut microbiome. These synthetic microbial communities act as a model for the gut microbiota and can be used in many ways for research and nutrition.