Abstract
The crucial role of the vaginal microbiome in women's health cannot be overstated. Disruptions to this ecosystem by pathobionts can result in the development of prevalent vaginal conditions, including bacterial vaginosis, aerobic vaginitis, and vulvovaginal candidiasis. These infections not only affect physical health but have also broader implications for women's well-being, society, and the economy. Current treatment methods involve the use of antibiotics or probiotics, but concerns about emerging antimicrobial drug resistance and a lack of solid evidence for the efficacy of current probiotics are frequently raised. This PhD project explores an innovative approach using synthetic communities (SynComs) to develop vaginal therapeutics. First, a top-down approach will be used to screen and select consortia of vaginal microbiota, emphasizing synergistic interactions and eliminating antagonistic effects. A bottom-up approach will validate the top-down findings, providing defined communities suitable for automation and scaling up. Simultaneously, these defined SynComs will undergo testing for their probiotic potential, comparing them with single strains through in vitro anti-pathobiont assays, community fitness analyses, and implementation into cutting-edge vaginal cell models. This research project will offer ground-breaking insights into a novel approach to establishing robust, safe, and effective microbiome-targeted therapies.
Researcher(s)
Research team(s)
Project type(s)