Project bank NGBI
Student projects are presented here. In the project bank, you can either search by subject areas or by entering keywords in the search box. You can also choose a letter, and you will see the projects that start with that letter in the title.
Project in All areas
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Plant-Based Food Components and Gut Health
Our diet has a major impact on both our health and the environment. Food choices shape food production, which in turn affects ecosystems. Identifying diets that support both human health and environmental sustainability is crucial—especially since individual metabolism plays a key role in how our bodies respond to food. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to nutrition. While reducing meat consumption is widely recognised as beneficial for the environment, we still have much to learn about how dietary changes influence human health. ADAPTide explores how plant-based food components impact individual health by studying diet-related and gut-related metabolic responses. Our research focuses on specific plant-based compounds—such as peptides, fibres, and metabolites—that trigger biological functions in the human body. By analysing these compounds in relation to human metabolomics and gut microbiota profiling, we aim to uncover their role in health and disease. To do this, we integrate data from multiple sources, including: Dietary interventions with plant-based food products Digesta samples from ileostomy participants In vitro models simulating human digestion and fermentation We employ various advanced techniques, including metabolomics, peptidomics, metagenomics (from faecal samples), cell culture studies, and both in vivo and ex vivo models. Interested in joining this research? We regularly offer internship and project work opportunities in this field. Our research is highly translational, aiming to bridge the gap between diet, gut function, and human health. If you're interested, feel free to reach out!
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The role of intestinal barrier function in patients with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease (PD) is currently the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the world, primarily affecting older individuals with degeneration of the motor-controlling nerve components in the brain. Most patients with PD also suffer from gastrointestinal issues such as constipation and inadequate bowel movements, sometimes for years before PD is diagnosed.
There are few studies on PD regarding potential disruptions in the communication between the gut and brain (the gut-brain axis), but it appears that both the immune cells and nerve cells in the gut may play an important role in the disease's development.
We aim to study whether increased intestinal permeability (reduced barrier function), sometimes referred to as leaky gut, could play an important role for the heightened immune activation and the characteristic gastrointestinal symptoms seen in PD patients.
Read more about The role of intestinal barrier function in patients with Parkinson's disease