2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) changes infants gut microbiota composition and their metabolism in a host-free human colonic model

•2′-Fucosyllactose -induces microbial changes in a well-defined infant gut community.•Addition of 2′-FL leads to significant increase in P. distasonis and L. acidphilus.•2′-FL-leads to large-scale microbial metabolic shift in 177 annotated metabolites.•2′-FL mediates gut health in the development of defined infant gut microbiota.