Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

The intestinal tract of mammals is home to trillions of bacterial microbes, and can also be colonised by parasites, such as worms. Despite belonging to different kingdoms of life, bacteria and parasitic worms face similar challenges in the intestine. Both must compete for limited nutritional and spatial resources, and both need to evade expulsion by the host immune system. Recent evidence reveals that bacteria and parasitic worms can influence each other’s presence in the intestines. Our research is centred on understanding the mechanisms of interaction between parasitic worms and bacterial microbes in the intestinal tract.
Our work will have a broad impact and importance. Firstly, it is of importance to the livestock industry. Evidence from animal models suggests that animals that are colonised by worms are at increased risk of infection by pathogenic bacteria. Given that the resistance to drugs against parasitic worms is increasing in the livestock industry, it is critical to understand how worms promote colonisation by pathogenic bacteria, so that interventions can be designed to protect against bacterial infection. Secondly, understanding how cross-kingdom interactions between parasitic worms and bacteria occur will influence research on co-evolution, microbiology, immunology and parasitology.
It is clear that the presence of worms promotes the ability of select bacterial species to persist in the mammalian intestinal tract. However, little is understood of the mechanisms by which this occurs. Work from myself and others has shown that parasitic worms alter the availability of products released during metabolism (metabolites) in the intestines. Our work aims to understand exactly how worms alter the intestinal metabolic environment, and how these changes in metabolites act on certain bacteria to promote their ability to colonise the intestines. We will examine interactions between worms and bacteria in mice, as in this model system both parasite and microbe populations in the intestine can be readily manipulated and tracked. We expect to identify the types of metabolites that are altered by the presence of parasitic worms, how exposure to these metabolites alters bacterial gene expression, how alterations in bacterial gene expression affect the ability of bacteria to survive in the intestine, and the types of bacteria that are affected by the presence of worms.
Undertaking this research will require methods from several research disciplines, including microbiology, parasitology and biochemistry. Trainees completing this research will therefore be highly skilled in a breath of techniques that are in demand in both academic and biotech settings, including cell culture, metabolite identification, mouse husbandry and experimental use, as well as critical thinking, writing, and project management skills, which will prepare them well for productive future careers.