Presenter: Jan Claesen, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Gut Health Research Programme, The Institute of Food Research, United Kingdom
Title: “Mining the Human Microbiome for Bioactive Small Molecules”
Abstract: Bacteria use small molecule chemicals to interact with each other and with their eukaryotic host. We use a combination of activity-driven and genomics-driven approaches to mine the human commensal microbiota for bioactive molecules, as well as the genes that encode their production. The ClusterFinder algorithm was developed to scan bacterial DNA for biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), identifying new classes of chemical compounds. Genetic and biochemical characterization BGCs revealed molecules with antibacterial, biofilm inducing and immunomodulatory functions. The identification of small molecule interactors produced by human commensals contributes to a better understanding of the complex interplay that is taking place in the communities from our microbiome. This will facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies to influence community structures with the aim to eliminate already established pathogens or inhibit their colonization prior to hospitalization.
1:00 pm
The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine Leo Holt Conference Room
For more information, contact: Miriam Rodriguez at miriam.rodriguez@jax.org