Bacteria of the human gut microbiota as drivers of mammalian disease
Bacteria of the human gut microbiota as drivers of mammalian disease.
As chronic medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity increase in prevalence across the world, it is increasingly recognized that the gut microbiome may exacerbate such conditions through direct interference in host metabolism. Recent advances in imaging and small molecule identification have allowed us to understand the mechanisms behind such microbial influence, helping us to understand how microbes in the gut can undermine human health. Our own work has identified small metabolites produced by specific gut microbes that spread systemically in mice and directly interfere with lipid metabolism in multiple organs. The goal of this project is to understand the often poorly characterized microbes mediating these effects by focusing on; their capability to produce small metabolites, the function of these molecules in the host, and their ability to share or acquire the relevant genes through mobile genetic elements in the gut.
Relevant reading for the project includes;
Microbiome-derived carnitine mimics as previously unknown mediators of gut-brain axis communication. Hulme et al. Science Advances 2020 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax6328
Microbiome-derived metabolites reproduce the mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased insulin sensitivity observed in type 2 diabetes. Ormsby et al. 2020 doi: 10.1101/2020.08.02.232447