# Engineering a Small Intestinal Microbiome to Evaluate Food Additive Exposure

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON · 2020 · $303,663

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Nanomaterials are increasingly used in consumer products, processed food, and food packaging, and few
studies have determined the consequences of nanoparticle ingestion. The ultimate goal of this work is to
determine if and how ingested metal oxide nanoparticles alter microorganism populations and intestinal function.
A model of the GI tract and a panel of functional assays have been developed, and preliminary data shows that
dietary doses of pristine metal oxide nanoparticles decrease mineral, glucose, and lipid absorption. These
decreases in absorption are due to nanoparticle-induced alterations in microvilli structure. The presence of a
single species of beneficial bacteria in the model prevents changes in nutrient absorption following nanoparticle
exposure, and early results suggest that nanoparticle reactivity with biological components is related to metal
oxidation state. The central hypothesis is that the microbiota can detoxify ingested metal oxide nanomaterials,
but high doses or chronic exposure can induce small intestinal dysbiosis, alter intestinal epithelial structure, and
result in decreased barrier properties and nutrient absorption. This hypothesis will be tested with three aims.
First, individual strains of bacteria will be introduced into the GI tract model and molecular, functional, and
structural epithelial characteristics and microbial viability and genotoxicity affected by acute and chronic metal
oxide nanoparticle exposure will be identified. Second, a mock community of upper GI bacteria will be engineered
and incorporated into the GI tract model to determine the effects of acute or chronic metal oxide nanoparticle
exposure on microbial community dynamics and epithelial cell properties under both static and fluidic conditions.
Third, a broiler chicken model (Gallus gallus), which is an established and robust method for quantifying nutrient
bioavailability, brush border enzyme activity, and microbiome alterations will be used to validate in vitro results.
This system, which will be the first to model upper GI conditions using a physiologically realistic, reproducible,
high-throughput method with human-derived cells, will provide insight into nanoparticle-biological interactions.
This valuable information is necessary for health and safety decisions and will be provided to both researchers
and consumers. The scientific outcomes of this work are twofold: 1) the model created will allow quantitative
assessment of the contributions of bacteria toward GI health and function and the ability to determine how what
we eat governs microbial dynamics; and 2) data collected will determine the overarching behavior of metal oxide
nanoparticles with biological GI components and allow for extrapolation across a broad class of commonly
ingested nanomaterials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9964815
- **Project number:** 5R01ES028788-03
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Gretchen Mahler
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $303,663
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9964815

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9964815, Engineering a Small Intestinal Microbiome to Evaluate Food Additive Exposure (5R01ES028788-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9964815. Licensed CC0.

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