Inflammatory Bowel Disease
H&E Stain after DSS colitis on a high protein diet
Staining for mTOR activation, a mechanism we are currently investigating
So pretty 🥺
H&E Stain after DSS colitis on a high protein diet
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a debilitating gastrointestinal inflammatory disease with no known cure. The pathogenesis of IBD is complex, affected by factors such as the environment, host genetics, and resident microbiota.
The lab is interested in diet-microbiota interactions. We research how various aspects of diet affect progression of inflammatory bowel disease. These aspects include supplementation of amino acids such as tryptophan and modulation of protein levels in diet. We also investigate how bacterial metabolism of these dietary components affects host physiology and inflammatory bowel disease.
To achieve this goal, we use a wide variety of techniques including immunohistochemistry, FISH staining, and RT-qPCR. A unique element of these projects is the variety of model organisms used – genetic models of colitis (e.g., MUC2, IL-10 KO), chemical models of colitis (e.g., DSS), gnotobiotic mice, and humanized mouse models are all used for these projects!