Project

Vaccine efficacy varies widely, influenced by early-life environmental factors that shape immune development. Antibiotic exposure during infancy profoundly disrupts gut microbiota establishment, yet its specific impact on B-cell development and subsequent vaccine responsiveness remains poorly understood. This project investigates how antibiotic treatment during the critical weaning period alters B-cell lymphopoiesis and differentiation. The weaning reaction represents a pivotal developmental stage where microbial colonization drives immune education. Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis during this window may trigger “neonatal immunological imprinting,” permanently modifying B-cell trajectories from early lymphoid tissues to peripheral maturation. Using murine models, we aim to elucidate how transient microbiota disruption affects the generation, selection, and functional programming of B-cells, ultimately impacting antibody-mediated protection against different type of pathogens or challenges such as vaccination.