The first goal of this line of research is to identify new biomarkers, whether genetic (polymorphisms, issue copy), epigenetic (DNA methylation), transcriptomic (mRNA or microRNA expression), metagenomic (gut microbiota), proteomic or metabolomic/lipidomic. The ideal biomarker should provide diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic information in addition to that obtained from the patient's clinical data .

Applications
The main applications are as follows:

- Early prognosis of the disease development .

- Prognosis of comorbidities associated with obesity.

- Diagnosis of obesity or associated comorbidities.

- Prognosis of response to treatment.

- Follow-up of weight loss after an intervention.

- Prognosis of recurrence of obesity-associated comorbidities.

At summary, the identification of new biomarkers is important because, on the one hand, it allows determining an individual's susceptibility to develop obesity, diabetes subject 2 and other related problems and, on the other hand, it allows optimising treatment through the implementation of personalised treatments.

Lines of research research
Identification of biochemical, genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and metagenomic biomarkers related to the risk of developing comorbidities associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, as well as personalisation of the intervention.

• Nutrigenetics (SNPs, variants of issue copy variants,...)
• Nutriepigenetics
• Transcriptomics / Nutrigenomics (mRNA)
• miRNAomics (miRNA)
• Metagenomics (gut microbiota)
• Metabolomics / Lipidomics

The second goal of this line of research is the identification, characterisation and study of the biological activity of various natural sources of bioactive compounds with potential application in the treatment or prevention of obesity and its associated comorbidities. These bioactive compounds are of great interest to both the food and pharmaceutical industries, as they can be the basis for the development of new dietary supplements or functional foods. To this end, programs of study activity of new extracts or molecules in various models (in vitro, C. elegans, rat/mouse, etc.) is developed in order to select candidates for subsequent assessment in programs of study of nutritional intervention in humans, as well as to study the possible mechanisms involved or their bioavailability.

Applications
The main application is:

• development of products with greater efficacy, bioavailability or stability and with fewer side effects than those already known and applicable in obesity-related diseases and their associated metabolic comorbidities (insulin resistance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, among others).

Lines of research

• Screening of bioactive compounds (cell cultures, Caenorhabditis elegans, rodents)

• programs of study of mechanisms of action.

• programs of study efficacy and bioavailability in animal models

The third goal of this line is to modulate gut microbiota composition and epigenetic marks in a personalised way. The intake of foods and diets rich in various bioactive principles (especially non-digestible carbohydrates, certain types of fibre and polyphenols) can modulate the composition of the gut microbiota and thus affect the health status of the population. In addition, numerous bioactive compounds and nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, fatty acids, fibres and polyphenols, are able to modulate epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression and metabolism.

Both mechanisms, microbiota and epigenetics, are associated with development disease. But both are potentially reversible through nutritional factors, so it is important to delve deeper into the effects of diets, nutrients and bioactive compounds in redirecting the microbiome and epigenome towards a 'healthier' state. The final goal is to design diets, ingredients and foods that can be used in the prevention or personalised treatment of obesity and its associated comorbidities.

This research requires a cross-cutting approach and multidisciplinary, employing a wide variety of models (from cell cultures to animal and human models) and technologies (especially the use of omics technologies such as microarrays and next-generation sequencing), as well as complex bioinformatics and statistical analyses.

Applications
The main application is:

• development of food ingredients and combinations with beneficial activity on gut microbiota composition and epigenetic marks.

Lines of research

• research of dietary and lifestyle factors that alter the gut-liver-brain axis, including gut permeability and inflammation under Degree, and the study of the modulatory effects of dietary compounds and foods on the composition of the gut microbiota.

• Analysis of gene-environment interactions converging on the metabolism-epigenome-genome axis, and study of epigenetic changes induced by the ingestion of different diets, foods and bioactive compounds in various cell types.