Emerging evidence suggests that the human gut microbiota and its genome (microbiome) play diverse physiological roles that influence our health and wellbeing. The microbiome contributes to regulating energy balance, brain development and function, thereby determining our risk of developing brain and diet-related disorders. The MyNewGut project will work towards identifying the influence of modifiable lifestyle factors on the gut microbiome and the specific intestinal bacteria that contribute to and predict these disorders at critical stages in life. This information will ultimately be translated into practical applications, including the development of more effective nutritional interventions and microbiome-based dietary recommendations targeting the gut ecosystem to prevent these disorders.
The MyNewGut project will provide a unique platform that will enable understanding of the extent to which microbiome-related features are modifiable through dietary strategies. This will be possible by conducting tightly controlled epidemiological and human intervention studies, as well as assessing a combination of classical robust physiological outcomes with high-throughput omics-technologies, and applying computational modelling and systems biology.
MyNewGut also aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU food industry and Small Medium Enterprises by providing robust scientific evidence that a balanced and healthy diet containing foods and ingredients targeting the gut microbiota can help control the prevalence of obesity and associated metabolic and behavioural disorders. Such robust scientific evidence will enable industry to provide foods with reliable health claims that can contribute to healthier diets and the long-term health of consumers.
This initiative will also generate robust scientific-based knowledge on the latest breakthroughs in human microbiome research, which will help to establish new strategies and EU policies on public health and promote a healthy EU population.
The MyNewGut project will investigate the following areas:
- Role of the gut microbiome in nutrient metabolism and energy balance.
- Influence of composite lifestyle factors on the gut microbiome and its role in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders during critical stages of life.
- Influence of lifestyle factors on the gut microbiome and its role in brain development and function during pregnancy and early postnatal life.
- Development of new food prototypes and ingredients targeting the gut microbiome to reduce the risks and consequences of metabolic and behavioural disorders.
- Contribution to developing new dietary recommendations and to informing EU policies to improve the EU’s position in the prevention of diet- and brain-related disorders.
Further information can be found in the research subsections on the left-hand side.