Question

Case 2. Understanding how bacteria in the gut shape allergy and asthma risk.

The microbes that naturally colonise the digestive tract of very young infants may affect their risk of developing childhood allergies and asthma. Recently, scientists identified several patterns of microbial communities in the stool of infants aged 16 to 137 days old. Every pattern of organisms potentially results in a different metabolic environment in the gut based on what the organisms produce as they grow. One particular pattern of microbes in these infants appeared to influence immune cell populations and promote the development of allergy and asthma. Newborns at highest risk for allergies and asthma had an increased abundance of specific fungi and had a lower abundance of certain bacteria compared to those at lower risk. Exposing healthy immune cells to a bacterial metabolite called 12,13-DiHOME (present in higher amounts in the stool of the infants who were at high risk to develop allergies and asthma) caused a decrease in allergy-protective cells and an increase in allergy-promoting cells. Translocation of microbial products (metabolites) through permeable brush borders of the intestine is linked with altered inflammatory responses that may drive pathways for allergic asthma.

Please help with question 1 and 2

1. How would you use a potential biomarker to determine allergy/asthma risk associated with gut bacteria?

2. Write up a SOP for your biomarker assay.

Answer 1

given complete answer in this image