The intestinal tract is home to a densely populated microbial community, or microbiota. A growing body of evidence suggests that the richness and diversity of bacteria strongly defines the health state of humans.
But the gut microbiota is composed of other microbial fractions, notably of bacteriophages (phages), the specific viruses of bacteria. Viromic studies have identified that gut phages are highly diverse and stable over time as well as very specific to single individuals. Metagenomic signatures of phage abundance and diversity were reported as associated to several diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Our project is designed to characterise the interactions between intestinal bacteria and bacteriophages by establishing an in vitro long-term coevolutionary model exposed to different stressors encountered in the gut environment. Using a network of model bacteria and phages, we investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in evolving phage infectivity and bacterial resistance. This project is set to have an impact on the understanding of the dynamics regulating the homeostasis of the gut microbiota.
