PhD student profile, Alessandro Dalla Via

PhD Student: Alessandro Dalla Via

Tutor: Prof. Simone Guglielmetti

Dean: Prof. Ella Pagliarini

Research area: Food Science and Nutrition

Research topic

Investigation of food and probiotic impact on oral, intestinal and vaginal microbiota, and study of the molecular mechanisms underlying host-probiotic interaction.

Project Synopsis

My PhD project aims to investigate the role of gut microbiota in the interactions between diet and the human host. This study is focusing on the role played by specific intestinal bacteria in the development of atherosclerosis and gut inflammation. The aim is to define how the presence of certain gut commensal bacteria may affect the metabolism of dietary choline promoting its conversion into trimethylamine (TMA); TMA is then converted by the liver into trimethylamine N-oxide, a pro-atherosclerotic agent. In parallel this project will study if some sulphated compounds derived from diet, could lead to the formation of H₂S, a molecule with controversial effects on intestinal motility, in the gut. In this regard we proceed with the isolation of new bacteria capable of producing H₂S, testing different electron donors.

Project keywords

Microbiology, intestinal microbial ecosystem, gut inflammation.

Contacts

Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Science (DeFENS)

Division of Food Microbiology and Bioprocesses

Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy

alessandro.dallavia@unimi.it

Sponsor

Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano

Publications

Papers

Dalla Via A, Gargari G, Taverniti T, Rondini G, Velardi I, Gambaro V, Visconti LV, De Vitis V, Gardana C, Ragg E, Pinto A, Riso P, Guglielmetti S (2019) Urinary TMAO levels are associated with the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota and with the choline TMA-lyase gene (cutC) harbored by Enterobacteriaceae. Nutrients Dec 25;12(1); DOI: 10.3390/nu12010062.

Taverniti V, Dalla Via A, Minuzzo M, Del Bo’ C, Riso P, Frøkiær H, Guglielmetti S. (2017) In vitro assessment of the ability of probiotics, blueberry and food carbohydrates to prevent S. pyogenes adhesion on pharyngeal epithelium and modulate immune response. Food Funct.; DOI: 10.1039/c7fo00829e

Taverniti V, Koirala R, Dalla Via A, Gargari G, Leonardis E, Arioli S, Guglielmetti S. (2019) Effect of cell concentration on the persistence in the human intestine of four probiotic strains administred through a multispecies formulation. Nutrients Jan 29;11(2) ; DOI: 10.3390/nu11020285.

Posters:

The fecal abundance of bacterial choline utilization gene (CutC) is associated to specific fecal bacterial taxa and may predict urinary TMAO. Dalla Via A, Taverniti V, Gargari G, Gambaro V, Visconti GL, Pinto A, Guglielmetti S. Poster communication. 6^th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota, Porto (2018).

Fermented soy drink with enhanced estrogenic activity. Dalla Via A, Mantegazza G, Gardana C, Licata A, Karp M, Guglielmetti S. Poster communication. Microbiome and probiotic series: Europe, Rotterdam (2019).

Institutional responsibilities

Representative of XXXIII cycle students in Food Systems within the Board of the Course.

Representative of PhD students within the Board of the Department (DeFENS) of the University of Milan.