My thanks go out to the many people that have been involved over the years! @halllab.bsky.social, John Penders & Nils van Best, @raymondkiu.bsky.social & Magda & Antia, @lucyicm.bsky.social & @cassiebakshani.bsky.social, @ptchiv.bsky.social, @envsysmicro.at

❤️

Finally, we demonstrate experimentally that E. coli supplies cysteine to auxotrophic B. bifidum, enabling cooperative degradation of 2'-fucosyllactose (the predominant HMO), thereby promoting mutual benefits.

We developed new computational approaches that deepened our understanding of early-life microbiota dynamics 👍

Then, evolutionary-guided genome analysis revealed that the co-existence of Bifidobacterium & E. coli is driven by shared selective pressures, promoting cooperation in HMO degradation 🤝

In this longitudinal cohort of initially exclusively breastfed & term-born infants - E. coli strains persist in individuals and co-exist with dominant Bifidobacterium.

Yes please <3