Prevention of allergy development in neonates by manipulating the microbiome

This project is suitable for a PhD student.

Nearly one billion people globally suffer from allergies responsible for significant morbidity and reduced quality of life. Our group has discovered a process during the neonatal “Window of Opportunity” that prevents allergy from developing later in life. We propose to understand the mechanisms that allow neonates to become resistant to allergen sensitisation. This project will allow us to develop a novel and revolutionary approach to the management of allergic diseases. We will use a combination of experimental and clinical resources to address the role of the immune cells populating the gut and gut-associated tissues, which will be visualised by Flow cytometry and fluorescence imaging. We will use techniques like metagenomic sequencing, metabolomics and proteomics to determine the interaction between the microbiome – intestinal epithelium – immune cells.