New publication in Nature Communications: Rational design of a microbial consortium of mucosal sugar utilizers reduces Clostridiodes difficile colonization

Many intestinal pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile use mucus-derived sugars to establish in the gut. In this study, a team around Fatima Pereira and David Berry identified commensal gut bacteria that efficiently use mucus-derived sugars using single-cell stable isotope probing, Raman-activated cell sorting and mini-metagenomics. Using this information, they assembled a probiotic cocktail of five species that impeded C. difficile’s access to mucosal sugars and impaired gut colonization by this pathogen. Their findings provide a novel approach for the rational design of effective probiotic mixtures to promote health.