Functional and Immunomodulatory Properties of Food-Associated Microorganisms

The course aims to introduce students, in the preliminary part, the type of cells and chemical mediators of immune system. The contribution of the commensal microbiota on immune development will also be described. Subsequently, it aims to describe the immunomodulatory properties of microorganisms introduced with food, showing the molecular mechanisms of the microbe-host interaction (mediated or not by commensals), with characterization of microbial cell components and/or its metabolites involved in exerting the postive effects on human health.

At the end of the course the students will have knowledge about the potential beneficial effects, especially at immunomodulatory level, that specific microorganism and/or their metabolites present and introduced with different foods can exert on host's health, together with the molecular mechanisms through which microorganism-host interaction takes place in positively affect human health.