Colonisation

The goal of this clinical study is to learn if it is possible to reduce the spread of resistant bacteria called CPEs (Carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales) between patients admitted to hospital. CPEs can be carried in the gut of people without making them ill. Normally when patients come into hospital, they may undergo a swab test on their bottom to see if CPEs can be grown. This test can take up to 24 hours to produce a result. The investigators want to use a faster test which takes 2 hours to produce a result, and whether this can make a difference to CPE spread between person to person. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Why do people carry, transmit or get infected with CPE? 2. If a faster test was used to look for CPE, would this be better at reducing patient spread in hospital? 3. Is a faster test also more cost effective? Participants will: 1. Be tested by both the usual and faster test when they come into hospital by a swab on their bottom 2. Where they test positive for CPE they will be asked to answer some questions about their health

The aim of this study is to determine whether encapsulation of probiotic bacteria using natural plant protein can enhance bacterial colonisation. Lactobacillus rhamnosus is an ideal strain for the intervention, as it has been shown to affect overall gut health, gut-brain axis, and brain function. Twenty-five participants aged 25 to 65 years will be recruited and assessed on four occasions to compare the blood and faecal effects of a 28-day ingestion of a yoghurt beverage with and without the probiotic strain of interest. The study window will be 70+/13 days. The current study will provide important information on the physiological function of probiotics in the small bowel. Understanding the underlying physiological effects of targeted probiotic delivery to the intestine and the impact on the microbiome is important for health outcomes.