The present invention provides microbial consortia capable of stable engraftment in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, and degradation of a disease-associated metabolic substrate, and methods of using the same.

The present invention provides microbial consortia capable of stable engraftment in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, and degradation of a disease-associated metabolic substrate, and methods of using the same.

Disclosed are microbial biomarkers and methods for accurate non-invasive diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in subjects. The microbial biomarkers include Lactococcus lactis as well as its strains and subspecies. The microbial biomarkers include Dorea sp. 5-2. The methods include measuring abundance or copy number of the one or more microbial biomarkers in a sample from the subject. The sample may be bodily fluid, mucus, or stool. Also described are methods of treating a subject with NAFLD by administering to the subject a composition containing Lactococcus lactis and/or Dorea sp. 5-2.

The invention relates to plasmids capable of expressing a protein targeting immune cells when transformed into a lactic acid bacterial cell, wherein the protein is chosen from the group consisting of murine and human CXCL12 1α; CXCL17 and Ym1. The invention further relates to lactic acid bacteria transformed with a said plasmid, as well as the use of said lactic acid bacteria for wound healing in humans and animals.

The invention relates to plasmids capable of expressing a protein targeting immune cells when transformed into a lactic acid bacterial cell, wherein the protein is chosen from the group consisting of murine and human CXCL12 1α; CXCL17 and Ym1. The invention further relates to lactic acid bacteria transformed with a said plasmid, as well as the use of said lactic acid bacteria for wound healing in humans and animals.

The disclosure relates to a mixture of bacteria belonging to at least six or seven different and specific bacterial species preferably for use in preventing or treating gastro-intestinal disorders. Preferably, the mixture of bacteria is grown together in a fermenter prior to administering the mixture to a subject in order to prevent or treat the disorder.

The disclosure relates to a mixture of bacteria belonging to at least six or seven different and specific bacterial species preferably for use in preventing or treating gastro-intestinal disorders. Preferably, the mixture of bacteria is grown together in a fermenter prior to administering the mixture to a subject in order to prevent or treat the disorder.

The present invention relates to the preventive or curative treatment of metabolic syndrome and the associated disorders with AhR agonist or microorganism producing AhR agonist.

The present invention relates to the preventive or curative treatment of metabolic syndrome and the associated disorders with AhR agonist or microorganism producing AhR agonist.

The present invention comprises the discovery and development of an effective cryoprotectant composition, without containing skim milk or any other animal-derived compounds, to achieve long-term stability of freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria (LAB), at different temperatures, whereby the retention of viability of the freeze-dried LAB after 6 months of storage, preferably after 9 months of storage, more preferably after 12 months of storage is more than 50%. The invention is in the field of producing freeze dried bacteria, in particular Lactic acid bacteria. More in particular, the invention relates to the use of a novel combination of cryoprotectants for increasing the viability of bacteria after freeze drying, improving the texture of the lyofilized cake for easy grinding and improving the long term stability of the freeze dried bacteria at different temperature conditions. The invention further relates to such freeze dried bacteria for use in food industry or in human or animal health applications. More in particular, the invention relates to the increased viability and long-term storage of recombinant bacteria capable of expressing heterologous proteins or peptides and administered to humans or animals for therapeutic or vaccination purposes.