Maternal obesity has been recognized as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term health complications in the offspring, including metabolic, immune, and gastrointestinal disorders. These effects are thought to be driven, at least in part, by alterations in the maternal gut microbiome and its associated metabolite production.

In this context, obesity-associated changes in microbial composition and function may influence gastrointestinal tract development, immune system maturation, and metabolic programming in the offspring. In particular, maternal microbiota represents a key source of microbial exposure during early life, shaping colonization patterns and downstream physiological processes.

This project aims to investigate how alterations in the maternal microbiome and metabolome, particularly short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, affect early-life development within the maternal–infant axis. To address this, we will combine advanced experimental models, including humanized antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion mouse models, and three-dimensional intestinal organoids, with multi-omics strategies (metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics). This integrative approach will allow us to identify microbial and metabolic signatures associated with maternal obesity and to define their functional role in offspring development.