Title: The role of gut microbiota in modulating signals controlling food intake and obesity

The thesis project will focus on the role of gut microbiota on the modulation of physiological, molecular and neural signalling components implicated in regulation of energy balance in healthy and obese states using in-vitro and in-vivo animal models. This project aims to identify and assess the role of bioactive molecular signals from the bacterial products that interact with gut peptides and other signalling molecules involved in gut chemosensation and energy metabolism. The first objective is to identify bacterial species which are capable of altering the secretion of peptides by satietogenic cultures intestinal cells and to determine the cellular mechanisms involved in this stimulation. Further, the identified species will be introduced in germ-free animals, and thirdly, their effects in vivo on the development of obesity induced by a high fat diet will be assessed. The ultimate goal of this work is twofold: a hand applied, with the aim of identifying beneficial bacterial species in the prevention of obesity, and other cognitive part, determining the signaling mechanisms to the origin of these effects as well as biotechnological development and etiologic, preventive and therapeutic implications for obesity.

Email: Xu-fei Zhang