Marianne O. Hesselager: How naturally occurring genetic variation can influence gut health
PhD defence, Thursday 27 August 2015. Marianne O. Hesselager.
During her PhD studies, Marianne O. Hesselager researched sugar structures present in pig intestinal linings. She studied how a naturally occurring gene variant alters the expression of some sugar structures that are critically important for both pathogenic and beneficial gut bacteria. Variation in these sugar structures has the potential to alter bacterial colonisation (which was underlined by an analysis of the bacterial composition) and thereby greatly modulate gut health.
The new research findings contribute to an understanding of how genetic elements can control the assembly of particular sugar structures, and thereby control bacterial colonisation of the gut. This knowledge has the potential to help find alternative approaches to improving gut health in industrial pig production via genetic selection or other means – without today’s massive use of antibiotics.
The PhD degree was completed at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG), Science and Technology, Aarhus University.
Time: Thursday 27 August 2015 at 15.00
Place: Building 1324, room 025, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 10, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of dissertation: The impact of ?1,2fucosyltransferase 1 (FUT1) on pig gut health
Contact information: Marianne O. Hesselager, mar_overg@yahoo.com, +45 4055 9109
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Daniel Kolarich, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Germany
Professor David G. E. Smith, Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Scotland, UK
Associate Professor Knud Erik Larsen (chair), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Emøke Bendixen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University
Language: The dissertation will be defended in English
The defence is public.
The dissertation is available for reading at the Graduate School of Science and Technology/GSST, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, room 112, 8000 Aarhus C.