Morgan Smith

The gut microbiome, also called the “hidden organ”, has multiple far-reaching effects on health. Research into how to modulate the microbiome is therefore increasingly important. Two key factors that can change the composition of the microbiome are a) diet and b) microbial secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites – such as polyketides – are produced by the microbiome as signals or as a means of killing competition. However, there is virtually no knowledge about the impacts diet may have on the activity of these metabolites or on the sensitivity of the target strain(s). The influence that these interactions could exert on the ecology of the microbiome is also unknown. My preliminary data displays a clear link between dietary carbohydrates and the outcome of an intraspecies competition, which is driven by a polyketide. My research therefore aims to elucidate the mechanism by which this interaction happens and determine the effect on the ecology of the microbiome.