Humans are colonized by vast numbers of symbiotic microorganisms whose metabolisms are inextricably intertwined with our own. To understand how chemical transformations performed by microbes influence health and disease, it is critical that we link these metabolic functions to specific genes and organisms. My research group seeks to discover and understand the molecular basis of disease-associated metabolic pathways from the microbiota. We use an understanding of chemical structure-reactivity principles and biosynthetic logic to devise biochemical hypotheses that associate genes with biological function. We also employ synthetic organic chemistry to develop approaches for characterizing and manipulating these activities. In this talk I will discuss our ongoing efforts to identify both genes and chemical mechanisms involved in multiple types of disease-associated microbial metabolism. I will also describe potential strategies for modulating microbial metabolism in the gut and their use in elucidating the roles played by specific metabolic functions in complex microbial communities.

Gut reactions: Understanding and manipulating chemistry from the human microbiota

249th National Meeting (2015)

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