Modeling host-microbe interactions in the intestinal ecosystem

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Along the length of the intestinal tract, a single layer of epithelial cells separates us from the outer environment. Here, balanced interactions between our cells and the bacteria that reside in our gut, known as the microbiota, promote the proper digestion of food and also protect us from infection with invading bacteria. Disruption of this balance between our cells and the microbiota results in inflammation, yet we can normally recover from these perturbations and re-gain a proper balance. Indeed, the microbiota are well adapted to these fluctuations and generally recover their health-promoting functions; however, how they recover and the processes that govern this restoration of balance are not well understood. Many chronic inflammatory diseases are characterized by prolonged shifts in this balance between our cells and microbiota and are linked to genetic deficiencies that weaken the protective barrier in the intestine. My goal, therefore, is to understand how gut bacteria interact with each other, how our host cells react to the resident bacteria to maintain a healthy balance and to discover how these genetic deficiencies in some individuals make then unable to react properly and recover the normal balance within the intestine. These insights are of great interest to both the scientific community and the general public in the context of maintaining intestinal health and understanding factors contributing to disease.