Location: Dairy and Functional Foods Research
Project Number: 8072-30600-007-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Aug 12, 2025
End Date: Aug 11, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Examine the effects of dairy, prebiotics and probiotics, and fermented foods on the structure and function of the gut microbiome and the downstream physiological effects on cells of the human digestive system.
Sub-objective 1.A: Investigate the prebiotic potential of milk oligosaccharides (MOs), including exploration of how dietary conditions impact their utilization and efficacy and subsequent cellular response of the human gut.
Sub-objective 1.B: Study how select prebiotic and probiotic formulations (from dairy and other sources) influence a gut microbial community in vitro and how they affect intestinal epithelial cells grown in tissue culture. Sub-objective 1.C: Assess changes in composition and structure of gut microbiome and metabolome in response to fermented foods (dairy and plant-based).
Objective 2: Investigate the impact of additives/byproducts from food processing and preservation on the human gut ecosystem.
Sub-objective 2.A: Analyze the effect of non-food substances (NFS), added either intentionally or unintentionally, on the gut microbiome and their subsequent impact on intestinal epithelial cells.
Sub-objective 2.B: Determine the impact of processed plant and dairy-based proteins on the gut microbiome and cells of the human GIT.
Objective 3: Develop novel in vitro systems to study the molecular interactions of the gut microbial community.
Sub-objective 3.A: Design and test the ability of synthetic mucins to alter bacterial behavior and to engineer 3-dimensional porous structures that mimic the function of intestinal mucus to promote the development of the mucosal microbial community in vitro.
Sub-objective 3.B: Develop standardized small intestine and colon microbial consortia to model specific community traits and elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms.
Approach:
The gut microbiome has emerged as an important mediator between diet and human health, exerting its effect through interdependent interactions leading to the release of bioactive metabolic byproducts with a global impact on the human body. Yet there is limited mechanistic data describing the cellular and molecular impact of these interactions and the metabolites, and therefore, accepted assertions on how changes to the gut microbiome translate to effects on human health are largely unsubstantiated. The objectives outlined in this project plan will address these assertions by analyzing the gut microbiome in response to important food components from dairy, fermented foods, plant-based processed proteins, and unwanted byproducts of food processing. This research will additionally seek to identify more optimal combinations of pre- and probiotics. Through the application of validated in vitro experimental designs, including models of the small intestine and colon, the kinetic response of the gut microbiome to the food components or additives will be elucidated, the metabolic response profiled, and the impact of these responses on cellular health will be evaluated. Together, this information will address research gaps on the interplay between the gut microbiota and food components and significantly contribute to our understanding of how diet impacts human health. These findings will allow for the further development of functional foods, prebiotic and probiotic combinations, novel processing techniques, and potential valorization of agricultural waste.