Investigators: Raphael Watt (student)
This project will explore whether the metabolic products of a healthy gut microbiota support anti-microbial immunity in early life, providing better protection against pathogens.
Short chain fatty acids are key metabolites produced by the gut microbiota that have histone de-acetylase activity. This project will explore whether short chain fatty acids have the potential to boost anti-microbial host immunity through 'trained immunity' (TIM). TIM is the process by which cells of the innate immune system become more efficient at clearing microbes through epigenetic remodelling of their genomes. The project has implications for trained immunity based vaccine design.