Statistical Bioinformatics Seminar: Dr Feargal J. Ryan, Flinders University

Hosted by Sydney Precision Data Science Centre 

Speaker: Dr Feargal J.  Ryan, Flinders University 

Abstract: Accumulating evidence indicates that antibiotic exposure may lead to impaired
vaccine responses; however, the mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly
understood.  Here we prospectively followed 191 healthy, vaginally born, term infants
from birth to 15 months, using a systems vaccinology approach to assess the effects of
antibiotic exposure on immune responses to vaccination.  Exposure to direct neonatal but
not intrapartum antibiotics was associated with significantly lower antibody titres
against various polysaccharides in the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and the
Haemophilus influenzae type b polyribosylribitol phosphate and diphtheria toxoid
antigens in the combined 6-in-1 Infanrix Hexa vaccine at 7 months of age.  Blood from
infants exposed to neonatal antibiotics had an inflammatory transcriptional profile
before vaccination; in addition, faecal metagenomics showed reduced abundance of
Bifidobacterium species in these infants at the time of vaccination, which was
correlated with reduced vaccine antibody titres 6 months later.  In preclinical models,
responses to the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine were strongly dependent on an
intact microbiota but could be restored in germ-free mice by administering a consortium
of Bifidobacterium species or a probiotic already widely used in neonatal units.  Our
data suggest that microbiota-targeted interventions could mitigate the detrimental
effects of early-life antibiotics on vaccine immunogenicity.  

About the speaker: Dr Feargal J.  Ryan is an NHMRC Investigator and head of the
Computational Multi-Omics Group at Flinders University.  He specializes in systems
biology, bioinformatics and the use of multi-omics data to study molecular mechanisms of
health and disease in humans.  Dr Ryan has co-authored over 45 peer reviewed papers
including in top journals such as Nature and Science, which have spanned the human
microbiome, idiopathic diseases, infection and cancer.  He is also an advocate for
supporting bioinformatics research in Australia and last year was elected as
Vice-President of the national Australian Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Society (ABACBS).  

This event will be held online.  

Zoom: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/85114748391