Probing mucin glycans at the host-microbiome interface

The body’s inner surfaces are coated with mucins, densely glycosylated proteins that hydrate the epithelium and protect it from harmful agents. Mucins in the intestine from a dense network that is inhabited by the gut microbiota. Bacteria are adapted to living in the sugar-rich mucin environment and produce many enzymes that degrade glycans and mucins. We develop novel mucin-based molecules to investigate how specific bacteria degrade mucins. Moreover, we investigate how mucin glycoforms can be applied to foster growth of beneficial bacteria while repelling pathogens. This can in the long-term help to treat inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and colitis in which the mucin-microbiome relationship is out of balance.