Effect of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii on intestinal barrier function and immune homeostasis: a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nutritional Science at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

Various gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, for example inflammatory bowel disease, are linked to impaired barrier function, chronic inflammation and dysbiosis of the resident microbiota. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, an abundant obligate anaerobe of the healthy human microbiota, has reduced abundance in the GI tract of people with these diseases, and has been suggested to exert beneficial effects. Only a few studies have investigated its mechanisms of action, partly due to the difficulty of co-culturing live obligate anaerobes with oxygen-requiring human cells. Methodological advancement in recent years led to the development of novel co-culture models that separate anaerobic and aerobic compartments for the purpose of studying the largely unknown effects of obligate anaerobes on GI function.