Lawley Lab

Host-microbiota interactions

The Host-Microbiota Interactions Lab explores the relationship between humans and their microbiome- the community of microorganisms that live on and in us. The team focusses on gut bacteria and viruses and their influence in long-term growth, development and disease resistance of children from Westernized and Low- and Middle-Income countries.

Humans are colonised by diverse, highly adapted microorganisms that co-evolved beneficial interactions and functions to promote human health, development and disease resistance. Microbiota acquisition starts at birth and recent evidence suggests microbiota assembly increases microbial diversity and functions that parallel immune system development and regulation in the rapidly growing infant. Disruption of maternal transmission by C-section and antibiotic exposure around birth is associated with a higher incidence of infections, AMR pathogen colonization and immune-related disorders in children.

The Host-Microbiota Interactions Lab (HMIL) is studying maternal transmission and microbiota assembly in infants and linking beneficial bacteria and functions to key immune, metabolic and cognitive milestones in a child’s development. The lab is interested in identifying beneficial microbes and functions that can be used to optimize and nurture the longer-term growth, development and disease resistance of babies from Westernized and Low- and Middle-Income countries.

The HMIL uses large-scale genomic studies, anaerobic microbiology and experimental models for biological discovery. The HMIL generates large-scale publically available genomic resources and bacterial culture collections and innovates metagenomic technologies and microbiological methods to drive biological discovery to enable the translation of the human microbiome.

Areas of research

The team investigates host-microbiota interactions in early-life linked to:

• microbiome assembly
• pathogen colonisation resistance
• symbiosis and bacterial interactions
• immune, metabolic and cognitive development
• virome and resistome

The HMIL aims to identify beneficial microbes and functions that can be used to optimize and nurture the longer-term growth, development and disease resistance of babies from Westernized and Low- and Middle-Income countries.