The interplay of circadian rhythms and the gut-brain axis during Clostridioides difficile infection

Circadian rhythms synchronise daily cycles of bodily processes with natural light to maintain health. Disrupting these rhythms with artificial light worsens gut and brain disorders, but their impact on gut infections is understudied. Using a novel mouse model, this thesis revealed that circadian rhythm disruption reduces symptoms and increases survival following infection with the gut bacterium Clostridioides difficile. This unexpected benefit of disturbing rhythmic processes in the body recontextualises the impact of circadian rhythm disruption for gut infections, revealing that gut bacteria may rely on host rhythms to cause disease, and manipulating these could offer new approaches to treating infection.