Marcela Hansen

Child malnutrition affects over 150 million children worldwide, often accompanied by an immature gut microbiome. Segatella copri is one of several growth-associated gut microbes which is stimulated by specific dietary fiber carbohydrates, including various structural components derived from plant pectins. The project aims to isolate defined pectin structures and examine the enzymology of their degradation by S. copri and other gut microbes.

The project will identify candidate glycans for microbiome-directed nutrition and demonstrate how global plant food sources and side streams can be converted into sustainable dietary interventions to combat child malnutrition. This work will advance the knowledge of gut microbiome enzymology and global health while contributing to circular economy strategies, by combining approaches from bioscience, biotechnology and nutrition.  

By enzymatically releasing specific pectin derived glycans from plant foods and agro-industrial side streams, this project aims to transform them into health-promoting carbohydrates. It will connect the structural features of these specific glycans to how S. copri enzymes break down and use these carbohydrates, demonstrating how they support microbiome functions linked to healthy child growth. The work will be carried out at DTU Bioengineering under the supervision of Anne S. Meyer, in collaboration with Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA.

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