[bioundgrd] UROP Opportunity with Jean-Francois Hamel

[Joyce Roberge]

UROP Supervisor: Jean-Francois Hamel, PhD (jhamel at mit.edu<mailto:jhamel at mit.edu>)

Term: Fall 2014

8/26/14



Use of Ammonia Oxidizing Bacterium for Skin Therapy

Project Overview

Background

            Over the past decade, there has been a spike of interest in the human microbiome, which is the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that literally share our body space [1].  The importance of the human skin microbiome in skin health and a robust immune system has become a topic of increased interest.  An important group of microorganisms, now virtually absent from the skin of most humans, are ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), bacteria ubiquitous in soils and untreated water [2].  AOB feed on the ammonia in sweat and convert it into nitrite and nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling mediator with many diverse biological activities.  In the last few years, the importance of steady state NO concentrations has emerged as a key determinant of its biological function [3].  Precise cellular responses are differentially regulated by specific NO concentration.  Studies have correlated links between NO concentration and the regulation of synaptic transmission, blood pressure, vascular tone, immune cell function, and inflammation, all of which are pertinent to human health [2, 4].

Introduction

            Modern hygiene has selectively depleted the natural balance of the skin microbiome particularly altering AOB.  By restoring the appropriate AOB levels, scientists are working to impact a range of human health conditions. Nitrosomonas eutropha, a common AOB, is currently being used by scientists to develop innovative bacterial therapies to explore the potential physiological beneficial effects of improving skin architecture, preventing infection, and improving vascularization [5].

            Scientists have developed an innocuous solution containing N. eutropha as a bacterial therapy skin care product.  Early research supports that this low-concentration AOB treatment has positive effects on some hygiene factors such as odor and skin texture.  Scientists are now looking test more concentrated forms of AOB for the treatment of diabetic ulcers and other dermatologic conditions, and to scale up the production of the solution in order for the product to eventually reach the market.

            The project would greatly benefit to produce cell at high concentrations. However it is currently not possible to do so, and we have hypothesized that there is a metabolic bottleneck.

Responsibilities of the UROP student

            The student will cultivate N. eutropha bacterium in a state-of-the-art laboratory bioreactor, and measure cell growth and metabolic parameters. One specific feature of the bioreactor is that it is operated in the continuous mode. Prior knowledge of biological pathways and biochemistry would be helpful to engage into the elucidation of the limited growth problem and to propose solutions.



References

1.     http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v131/n10/full/jid2011168a.html

2.     http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/677/chp%253A10.1007%252F978-3-7643-8903-1_6.pdf?auth66=1403117403_98198d022fd2eea2d5bf0d19f684db0f&ext=.pdf

3.     http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2572721/

4.     http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/33/7/829.long

5.     https://www.aobiome.com/science

Joyce Roberge
Undergraduate Program
Biology Education Office 68-120
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
31 Ames Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-253-4718
fax: 617-258-9329
email: roberge at mit.edu<mailto:roberge at mit.edu>



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