Development of a Covalent Inhibitor of Gut Bacterial Bile Salt Hydrolases

To better understand the pathologic impact of intestinal bile acids on host health, CMIT faculty designed a non-toxic inhibitor that reduces secondary bile acid production in the intestine to better understand the impact of these metabolites.

Engineering Phage Host-Range and Suppressing Bacterial Resistance through Phage Tail Fiber Mutagenesis

Performing targeted mutagenesis of specific phage regions that are critical for bacterial recognition, creating diversity at binding regions that slows evolution of bacterial resistance mechanisms.

Mapping Human Microbiome Drug Metabolism by Gut Bacteria and Their Genes

In a recent study published in Nature by Zimmerman (et.al), researchers begin to uncover how intestinal bacteria chemically modify prescription drugs.

Fecal Microbiota Transplant as Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy

CMIT is collaborating with Dr. Patricia Pringle and Dr. Raymond Chung from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) on a new study that is investigating the potential role of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a treatment for hepatic encephalopathy.

Discovery and Inhibition of an Interspecies Gut Bacterial Pathway for Levodopa Metabolism

One of the promising areas of emerging microbiome research is the impact of our intestinal flora on drug pharmacokinetics.

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.