Investigating coffee microorganisms and their impact on the gut-brain axis with 3D in vitro models and biosensors

• Grant number: 24/10975-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: February 19, 2025
• End date: July 29, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Anderson de Souza Sant'Ana
• Grantee: Dionisio Pedro Amorim Neto
• Supervisor: Roisin Meabh Owens
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Cambridge, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/15224-8 - From the fields to therapeutic application: investigating the neuroprotective potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated during coffee (Coffea arabica) fermentation on Sporadic Parkinson's Disease, BP.DR

Abstract

The incidence of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson's disease, has been increasing globally. This condition primarily affects dopaminergic neurons in the brain, but recent evidence suggests that gastrointestinal symptoms and intestinal microbiota composition also play significant roles in its onset and progression. Thus, interventions focusing on the gut-brain axis are currently at the forefront of Parkinson's disease research. However, there is limited knowledge about the potential of coffee-derived microorganisms, especially yeasts, in combating this disease. This project aims to explore the effects of supernatants from various lactic acid bacteria and yeast species isolated during coffee fermentation in Brazil on two in vitro models that simulate the gut-brain axis and characterize the metabolic profile of the supernatants to determine metabolites with biotechnological potential relevant to health applications.