3. Predictive Chemoreceptor-Mediated Human Biology

After consumption, functional food constituents can be further metabolized by the human metabolism or microbiome, exerting a variety of cellular effects. For example, effector molecules can activate cells of the oro-gastrointestinal tract and the cellular immune system by interacting with specific cellular target structures, such as receptors or ion channels. The Leibniz-LSB@TUM has set itself the goal of elucidating the molecular basis of the metabolic modification of food effector systems and their chemoreceptor-mediated biological reactions, improving their predictability, and modulating them in a targeted manner with a view to developing healthier foods (recording – assessment – prediction).

Research activities include in particular:

• Deciphering and modulating the principles of translation of complex food effector systems into individualized activation patterns of biomolecular molecular target structures (receptors, ion channels, enzymes), signal transduction and gene regulation processes in cells of the orogastrointestinal tract and the cellular immune system.
• Recording human metabolic and microbiome influences on the molecular composition and reactivity of effector systems.
• Development of new, gene-edited (CRISPR/Cas) screening systems for investigating receptor- and ion channel-specific bioactivity.
• Decoding of the chemoreceptor-relevant genome, transcriptome, proteomeand (senso-) metabolome as well as its modulation through human studies (“proof of concept”).
• Generation of understanding and prediction of the dynamic bioprocesses underlying consumption behavior.
• Understanding the epigenetic programming of cells in the orogastrointestinal tract and the cellular immune system in order to contribute to the development of new approaches for personalized nutrition concepts.