Deciphering the human microbiome with chemistry

The human body is colonized by trillions of microorganisms that exert a profound influence on human biology, in part by providing functional capabilities that extend beyond those of host cells. In particular, there is growing evidence linking chemical processes carried out by the human gut and vaginal microbiomes to various health outcomes ranging from cancer development to preterm birth. However, we still do not understand the vast majority of the molecular mechanisms underlying how the human microbiome influences host biological processes. Major obstacles faced in surmounting this knowledge gap include the difficulty linking functions associated with the human microbiome to specific microbial enzymes and the challenge of controlling these activities in complex microbial communities. This talk will discuss my lab’s efforts to characterize gut and vaginal microbial metabolic activities that are linked to human health, understand their relevance in human microbiomes, and to develop tools and approaches to control microbial metabolism in complex microbial communities. Gaining a molecular understanding of microbial metabolic activities will not only help to elucidate the mechanisms by which these organisms affect host health but should also enable efforts to treat and prevent disease by manipulating our microbial communities.

Speaker: Emily Balskus, Harvard University