The development of the infant gut microbiome is primarily influenced by delivery mode (vaginal or C-section) and the infant feeding type, with breast milk serving as the optimal source of nutrition. Breast milk contains human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that act as nourishment for the developing gut microbiome, potentially conferring advantages to specific bacterial species. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of certain Bifidobacterium species to utilize individual HMOs, yet it is unclear whether the HMO composition impacts the gut bacteria community. In this seminar I will introduce the field of the gut microbiome and infant gut specifically, I will dig deeper into bacteria from the Bifidobacterium genus and their ability to utilize HMOs. From computational tool development to estimate their abundance, and our identification of a novel subspecies in the infant gut, to the experimental follow-ups of validation and examining the functional potential of the bacteria. "No previous knowledge of the field is needed, just a critical and open mind."Students interested in meeting the speaker after the seminar may sign up here:LINKFOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND CONTENT ON SOFT MATTER AND BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS AT THE WEIZMANN, VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.bio
