MCB Guest Speaker: Dr. Tom Van de Weile

Dear Colleagues,

Please join us as we welcome guest speaker Dr. Tom van der Wiele on Friday, Oct. 6th.

Seminar time: 10:00am
Room: SSC 2315

Seminar Abstract:

Microniches in the human gut: new insights in the host-microbe interphase.

The gut microbiome is an important modulator of human health. A microorganism’s behavior is significantly affected by different microenvironments it encounters in the gut: the lumen, shed epithelial cells, oxygen gradients over the gut mucosa… 

The black-box nature and limited sampling capability of in vivo studies often limit obtaining a mechanistic and dynamic understanding of the microbe-host interactome.  Such constraints can be dealt with in vitro by mimicking specific enzymatic, microbiological or host biochemical and cellular processes in laboratory setups. Nowadays, in vitro simulation of the gut microbiome has moved from straightforward semi-continuous multistage fermenters to complex state-of-the-art setups where i) distinction is made between the luminal and mucosal microbiome, ii) co-cultures are facilitated between the microbiome and enterocytes and/or immune cells and iii) gut tissues are being engineered in organoid-based models. This presentation will discuss how the incorporation of microenvironment parameters in gut models can strengthen our understanding of microbiome functionality and its role in health and disease.  

All are welcome to attend. 

Sincerely,
MCB Distinguished Speaker Seminar Committee