Summary
- Major: Nutrition
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steven Frese
- Research Topic: The function of a human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) transporter in B. infantis
- New Scholar: 2023 Cohort
- Graduating with a Baccalaureate Degree: 2025
Abstract
This project aims to understand the function of a predicted HMO transporter found in some strains of B. infantis. We hypothesize that this HMO transporter is critical for the growth of the organism when fed the HMOs transported by this system. Using a gene knockout system, we will inactivate this HMO transporter and compare its ability to grow against the parent strain, and we will assess how the loss of this transporter affects the in vitro ecological fitness of B. infantis. This research will increase our understanding of the features of probiotic microbes that are important to infant gut colonization.