Gut bacterial metabolism
Ashley Wolf, Professor
Public Health
Closed. This professor is continuing with Fall 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Spring 2025.
Dietary ingredients can provide fuel to the gut microbiome and influence the abundance of particular bacterial species in the gut. During heating steps in food processing, Maillard reaction products (MRPs) are formed from non-enzymatic reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars. As one of the MRPs, ε-fructoselysine (FL) is derived from a glucose and a lysine by Amadori rearrangement. Escherichia coli (E. Coli.) was identified to metabolize fructoselysine in culture. Similarly, gut microbiome members including Collinsella species can also utilize FL in the gut. Increases in the abundance of Collinsella species have been identified in patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis and is correlated with insulin levels in overweight pregnant women. However, FL consumption strategies are poorly characterized in Collinsella. By expressing Collinsella FL-6-phosphate deglycase in frlB knockout E. Coli, we can understand FL utilization pathway in Collinsella species.
Role: The student will learn basic biological techniques such as PCR, DNA extraction, protein overexpression, gel electrophoresis and bacterial culture. The student is expected to shadow and help with experiments at first and eventually perform experiments independently. Weekly meetings and presentations are expected to discuss and present results.
Qualifications: Students should have relevant biology coursework including Bio1A or equivalent (enrolled or previously taken).
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Xueqi (Effy) Chu, Staff Researcher
Hours: to be negotiated
Related website: awolflab.com
Biological & Health Sciences