Science Discussion Series: We’re scientists from Vanderbilt studying how
microbes relate to gut health and what this research means for risk of
disease and developing new treatments. Let’s discuss!
Abstract
Hi reddit! We’ve known since the 1800’s that pathogenic microbes are the
cause of contagious diseases that have plagued humankind. However, it
has only been over the last two decades that we have gained an
appreciation that the “normal” microbes that live on and around us
dramatically impact many chronic and non-contagious diseases that are
now the leading causes of death in the world. This is most obvious in
the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, where the community of microbes that
lives within our guts can affect the likelihood of developing
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, and gastrointestinal
cancers. These gut microbes also contribute to metabolic diseases such
as obesity and diabetes. In this discussion, a panel of scientists and
infectious disease doctors representing the Vanderbilt Institute for
Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation (VI4) will answer questions
regarding how the microbes in your gut can impact your health and how
this information is being used to design potential treatments for a
variety of diseases. Mariana Byndloss, DVM, PhD (u/Mariana_Byndloss): I
have extensive experience studying the interactions between the host and
intestinal microbiota during microbiota imbalance (dysbiosis). I’m
particularly interested in how inflammation-mediated changes in gut
epithelial metabolism lead to gut dysbiosis and increased risk of
non-communicable diseases (namely IBD, obesity, cardiovascular disease,
and colon cancer). Jim Cassat, MD, PhD (u/Jim_Cassat): I am a pediatric
infectious diseases physician. My research program focuses on the
following: Staph aureus pathogenesis, bone infection (osteomyelitis),
osteo-immune crosstalk, and how inflammatory bowel disease impacts bone
health. Jane Ferguson, PhD (u/Jane_Ferguson): I am an Assistant
Professor of Medicine, in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. I’m
particularly interested in how environment and genetics combine to
determine risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. My
group studies how the microbiome interacts with diet, genetic
background, and other factors to influence cardiometabolic disease.
Maria Hadjifrangiskou, PhD (u/M_Hadjifrangiskou): I am fascinated by
how bacteria understand their environment and respond to it and to each
other. My lab works to understand mechanisms used by bacteria to sample
the environment and use the info to subvert insults (like antibiotics)
and persist in the host. The bacteria we study are uropathogenic E.
coli, the primary cause of urinary tract infections worldwide. We have
identified bacterial information systems that mediate intrinsic
antibiotic resistance in this microbe, as well as mechanisms that lead
to division of labor in the bacterial community in the gut, the vaginal
space and the bladder. In my spare time, I spend time with my husband
and 3 little girls, run, play MTG, as well as other nerdy strategy
games. Follow me @BacterialTalk You can follow our work and the work of
all the researchers at VI4 on twitter: @VI4Research We’ll be around to
answer your questions between 1-4 pm EST. Thanks for joining us in this
discussion today!