Looking beyond the gut bacteriome

We warmly congratulate the three recipients of the 2024 GGGH, which supports studies looking beyond the bacterial microbiome. Many gut-microbiome studies focus solely on the gut bacteriome. By contrast, the 2024 GGGH encouraged research investigating interactions between the host and other constituents of the gut microbiome. We’re proud to present the three successful applicants and their projects.

Megan Baldridge (Washington University, St. Louis, United States) will focus on the potential role of viruses in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Specific interactions between bacteriophages and human proteins in the gut will be examined to determine how they may impact the inflammation characteristic of IBD. Uptake of bacteriophages by gut epithelial cells can trigger inflammatory responses, which could underlie the inflammatory flareups associated with IBD cycles. Cell-surface proteins expected to be involved in the uptake of bacteriophage will be investigated using a novel approach based on CRISPR screening to identify proteins involved in binding specific bacteriophages. The expression of such proteins can then be regulated to see the impact on bacteriophage binding and inflammatory markers. Limiting phage binding to human cells could be a new therapeutic route to reduce IBD-associated inflammation.

Souhaila Al Khodor (Sidra Medicine Women and Children’s Hospital in Doha, Qatar) will also examine the role of the gut virome and its interaction with other members of the microbiome in children with IBD. Children tend to develop a more severe, debilitating, form of IBD than adults. The researchers have collected samples from a longitudinal cohort of paediatric patients. They aim to add the missing piece of the puzzle — the virome — to their existing datasets of the bacteriome and the fungal microbiome (the mycobiome). Investigating the changing compositions over time and disease state, and comparing the inter-kingdom relationships between the different microbes, and with the host, will provide crucial information and a route to identify key causative factors.

Virginia Pedicord (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom) aims to explore whether the mycobiome plays a role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. Gut-derived fungal components circulate in the body and can cross the blood–brain barrier, where they could cause neuroinflammation, potentially triggering cognitive decline. Imbalances between fungal and bacterial populations could alter the amount and type of such circulating molecules. This project will mine existing repositories of patient data, searching for associations between the mycobiome and neurodegeneration. To identify important correlations, the researchers will use AI tools to filter and analyse the data. This research could help to identify new early biomarkers for neurodegeneration.

Together with the rest of the panel, I’m confident these excellent projects will expand our knowledge of how interactions between all members of the gut microbiome, beyond the bacteriome, contribute to the development of disease, within and beyond the gut. I wish the three recipients the best of luck with their crucial work! Finally, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to fellow panellists Ami Bhatt, Sarah Lebeer, Kiyoshi Takeda and Gabriela Vinderola for their excellent and essential contributions to the evaluation process.

Meet the panel

The independent panel is made up of internationally renowned researchers in human microbiota from across the world.