ABT Week 9: Microbial Taxonomy, Diet-Microbiome Interactions, and Akkermansia muciniphila

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering microbial taxonomy, analytical sequencing and 'omics methods, dietary modulators (prebiotics and emulsifiers), and the translational research surrounding Akkermansia muciniphila.

Microbiota

The collection of microorganisms present in a particular environment, such as the gastrointestinal tract.

Microbiome

The collective genetic material of a microbial community.

Virome

The viral component of a microbial community.

Mycobiome

The fungal component of a microbial community.

Phageome

The bacteriophage component of a microbial community.

Bacteriophages

Viruses that specifically infect bacteria, which can alter bacterial populations and potentially serve as alternatives to antibiotics.

Microbial Taxonomy

The scientific system used to classify organisms according to their characteristics and evolutionary relationships, structured from Domain down to Strain.

Phylogenetics

The study of evolutionary relationships between organisms, commonly using comparisons of nucleotide sequences to construct phylogenetic trees.

Targeted qPCR

An analytical method that measures the quantity of specific microbial DNA sequences to detect and quantify selected microorganisms.

16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

A marker-gene sequencing technique targeting conserved and variable regions of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes to identify taxa and estimate relative abundance.

Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing

A technique that sequences DNA from across the entire microbial community to provide detailed taxonomic identification and information about metabolic genes and functional potential.

Metatranscriptomics

An analytical method measuring microbial RNA to determine which genes within a microbial community are actively being expressed.

Metaproteomics

An analytical method measuring microbial proteins to investigate the proteins being produced and their functional activity.

Microbial Metabolomics

The analysis of metabolites produced or modified by microorganisms to investigate microbial metabolic activity, such as short-chain fatty acid production.

Prebiotic

A substrate selectively utilised by host microorganisms that confers a health benefit.

Inulin-type Fructans

Carbohydrates resistant to digestion by human enzymes that can be metabolised by certain gut bacteria.

Galactooligosaccharides (GOS)

Prebiotic carbohydrates that can selectively support the growth or activity of beneficial microbial populations.

Food Emulsifiers

Food additives used to stabilise mixtures of ingredients that would otherwise separate, particularly oil and water.

Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)

A food emulsifier evaluated in experimental models for its potential to alter microbial communities and disrupt the intestinal mucus layer.

Polysorbate 80 (P80)

A food emulsifier studied in animal and laboratory models for its effects on gut microbial composition and mucus barrier integrity.

SHIME

Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem; an in vitro model used to investigate gut microbial dynamics and responses to compounds such as emulsifiers.

Akkermansia muciniphila

A gut bacterium resident in the intestinal mucus layer that utilises mucin, associates with intestinal barrier function, and is linked to metabolic health improvements.

Metabolic Endotoxaemia

Elevated circulating levels of bacterial endotoxins, particularly lipopolysaccharide (LPS), associated with high-fat diets and low-grade inflammation.

Pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila

Heat-inactivated A. muciniphila demonstrated to retain beneficial metabolic effects on insulin resistance and body weight without requiring live bacterial survival.

Translation

The process of progressing scientific discoveries towards practical clinical applications that may improve human health.

Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)

The transfer of microbial communities from a donor to a recipient host, which can be sensitive to sample handling conditions such as oxygen exposure.

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

A strictly anaerobic, butyrate-producing gut bacterium that is highly sensitive to oxygen exposure during sample preparation.