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Ruminococcus gnavus, a Member of the Human Gut Microbiome Associated with Crohn’s Disease, Produces an Inflammatory Polysaccharide
By Katie E. Golden The microbial communities that live peacefully in our gut play a critical role in healthy metabolism and immunity. Evolving research on the microbiome has linked chronic disease, like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), to significant and characteristic disruptions in both the types and relative abundance of bacterial species that colonize the intestine. […]
Massively Parallel Screening of Synthetic Microbial Communities
By Dr. Katie E. Golden, MD Microbial communities are emerging as an important area of research interest given their potential as biotechnological tools, with applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to agricultural development. One of the biggest challenges to engineering bacteria with specific benefits, however, is the inherent difficulty in predicting a species’ interactions with other microbial […]
Getting to Know Hera Vlamakis, PhD
By Katie E. Golden, MD I recently had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Hera Vlamakis, who is the Senior Group Leader of the Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. With a background in microbiology, she is interested in how the bacteria that colonize the human intestine interact […]
Investigating Fecal Microbiota Transplantation as a Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that can be associated with daily, debilitating symptoms for patients. Studies suggest that it affects 7-16% of the United States population and 10-15% of the worldwide population, which is predominantly younger people and women (1). Patients suffer from a variety of symptoms that can have a […]
Interview with Laura Kiessling
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Laura Kiessling, who runs a lab at MIT and studies the carbohydrates that coat the surface of bacteria.
CMIT Collaborating with Boston Children’s Researchers to Study Changes in the Microbiome with Dietary Composition and Weight Loss
CMIT is excited to announce their collaboration with researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) on a new obesity and metabolism study.
CMIT SuperUROP Undergoes Transformation
This program, which provides a year-long intensive lab experience for MIT undergraduates will be revitalized as it becomes part of the New Engineering Education Transformation Program Living Machines thread in the Fall of 2019.
Transmission of Human-Associated Microbiota Along Family and Social Networks
By Dr. Katie E.Golden CMIT researchers study village populations in Fiji to try and understand how social networks influence the development of the human microbiome. The microbiome is an integral part of the human gastrointestinal system that contributes to our daily metabolism and immune function. It develops and changes throughout our lifespan, and scientists are […]
Antigen Discovery and Specification of Immunodominance Hierarchies for MHCII-restricted Epitopes
Summary by Katie E. Golden, MD For well over a decade, the world of immunology has been gaining traction as a core focus to better understand, and cure, many human diseases. The science and medical community alike have gained appreciation for the role of immunological processes in infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. As the […]