Investigating Bacterial Colibactin Expression and its Effects on Tumour Formation

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of tumours worldwide.

Evidence suggests that bacteria residing in the gut play a role in the onset of this disease, with research showing links between diet, the bacteria living in our gut and the overall health of the individual.

Patients suffering from disorders of the gut are routinely given probiotics, cultures of health-promoting bacteria that colonise the host’s gut, outcompeting harmful bacteria and restoring a healthy microbial population within the intestine.

One probiotic bacteria, Escherichia coli, has been shown to have antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, but research also suggests that these bacteria can release harmful toxins that damage intestinal cells, initiating the development of colorectal cancer.

I aim to investigate how specific dietary components affect the expression of probiotic toxins in a way that reduces tumour development.

I will use molecular biology techniques to work out how components of the diet affect gene expression of the toxin in probiotic strains, and I will use mouse models to study tumour development in living organisms.

In the future, I hope that coupling administration of probiotics with specific dietary components could reduce the risks of developing colorectal cancer and become an effective therapeutic approach.