In WP1, we will make use of NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research's access to a uniquely well-characterized human cohort (Health2006), in which detailed information on coding genetic variation is available, and metabolic biomarkers have been collected. Human intervention studies will be undertaken in this integrated setup based on: a) Diets and/or food ingredients rich in dietary fibres, b) Diets low in gluten/gliadin from refined carbohydrates and c) Diets high in gluten/gliadin from refined carbohydrates. While the first two types of diet are expected to affect the intestinal microbes and the gut mucosa in a positive (and anti-inflammatory) manner, the third type of diet is expected to induce low-grade inflammation in the gut, which will in turn also affect the resident microbial population. The chosen set-up will thus elucidate the ‘good or vicious cycles’, which result from the interplay between the intestinal microbes and the mucosal response.
WP1 (human studies) is led by Assoc. Professor Lotte Lauritzen, KU Human Nutrition and Professor Oluf B. Pedersen, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research.