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Targeting AhR in inflammatory Bowel Disease

AhR is a ubiquitous receptor in the GI tract responsible for maintaining gut homeostasis. The natural ligands for Ahr include metabolites of dietary tryptophan and bacterial metabolites among others. In inflammatory bowel disease Ahr signalling is reduced, and activation of Ahr is a potential novel therapeutic approach to treating this condition. This project will work with a library of bacteria identified through screening that activate the AhR pathway to partially purify and characterise the metabolites and examine their effect in vitro and ultimately in vivo on Ahr signalling.