The intestinal immune system must learn early in life to nurture beneficial microbes and repel pathogens. The maternal microbiota begins to train it already before birth. Diverse microbial exposure protects the offspring from immunological disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, allergy and asthma. However, the newborn is also vulnerable to infections. We will investigate how the developing immune system can be programmed safely by microbial compounds penetrating the placenta. We will identify microbial metabolites regulating the immune system. We will also study whether the gut microbiota produces extracellular vesicles carrying microbial macromolecules to the fetus. The research helps to solve practical problems caused by disturbances related to gut microbiota and immune system in humans and farm animals: intestinal disorders, excessive antibiotic use and mortality of newborns in infections.

2022

2026