David MacIntyre, Reader in Reproductive Systems Medicine, Section Head of Pregnancy, Parturition and Prematurity at Imperial College London, UK

Reproductive tract microbiota-host interactions in pregnancy
Preterm birth remains the primary cause of global childhood mortality and accounts for approximately 1 million deaths yearly. The vaginal microbiome plays an important role in the aetiology of preterm birth and, during delivery, represents the site of the neonates’ first major microbial seeding event. In this FENS Friday webinar, I will present recent data from our group that highlights how individual patient-level host response to vaginal microbiota composition shapes both risks of preterm birth and response to interventions designed to prevent it. I will also report on the development and validation of a novel point-of-care diagnostic platform that uses information derived from the cervicovaginal mucosal metabolome to predict both the composition of the vaginal microbiome and host inflammatory status.

Grațiela Grădișteanu Pîrcălăbioru, ICUB, University of Bucharest, Romania

Exploring the gut-brain axis in IBS and depression 
Major depressive disorder represents a growing concern for the general population. In line with this, there is a growing interest in novel interventions to treat both the psychological and physiological aspects of depression. The microbiome-gut-brain axis is believed to modulate mood by releasing microbial metabolites and immune mediators, which in turn modulate neuroinflammation and neurotransmission. During this FENS Friday webinar, I will present how bacteria highlight the pathway to happiness by showing some data on the microbiome patterns linked to major depressive disorder and irritable bowel syndrome. 

Siobhain O’Mahony, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Funded Investigator, APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland

Gut Feelings: The Microbiome and Pain Disorders?
The gut microbiota and its manipulation have been associated with several types of pain, including visceral pain, postoperative pain, and autoimmune-related pain in rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the gut microbiota and its metabolites can modulate nervous system functioning, including pain signalling pathways. Sex differences are noted in the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota, with clear effects of gonadectomy and hormone replacement on the relative abundance of gut bacterial taxa and microbial-derived products such as bile acids. Relative to men, women present with pain conditions more commonly. Although consistent differences exist between men and women in the physiology of pain sensitivity, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood and could inform the development of effective sex-specific treatments for pain.