Description
Title: "Helminth-microbiota co-adaptations”
Speaker: 
Ken Cadwell, PhD
T. Grier Miller Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Penn Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania
Abstract:
Trichuris, or whipworms, are intestinal parasites estimated to affect a billion individuals worldwide. High worm burden is associated with the tropical disease known as trichuriasis. Following ingestion by the mammalian host, Trichuris eggs hatch in a manner dependent on bacteria that are part of the gut microbiota, representing a symbiotic relationship that is a potential point of vulnerability in the parasite lifecycle. We have developed novel tools including genetic screens and advanced microscopy techniques to examine how components of the gut microbiota contribute to Trichuris egg hatching and adult worm fertility. Our findings support a model in which transkingdom interactions between the parasitic worm and bacteria are mediated metabolic byproducts that affect worm burden and transmissibility. We will discuss how these observations clarify the way in which Trichuris has evolved to adapt to the bacteria-rich environment of the host gastrointestinal tract.
Bio:
My laboratory investigates how our immune system has adapted to the diverse microbial agents we encounter in our lifetime. We address this question by focusing on the gastrointestinal tract where a single layer epithelium separates our body from pathogens and microbial colonizers belonging to the microbiota. Through taking a comparative infection biology approach, our research has identified cellular mechanisms underlying the balanced immune response that is necessary for responding to life-threatening infections while avoiding chronic illnesses like inflammatory bowel disease. Ongoing projects include elucidating how symbiotic intestinal viruses, fungi, and parasites contribute to local and extraintestinal disease susceptibility, defining how the cellular pathway of autophagy mediates resilience towards infectious threats, and understanding how polymicrobial exposure in the natural environment contributes to the developmental maturation of the immune system. Through these projects, we hope to gain further insight into how microbial diversity in the intestinal ecosystem shapes host physiology and pave the way for therapies that restore balanced host-microbe relationships.
Date: Monday, September 11, 2023
Time: 12-1 pm
Location: Hill 132 and Virtually Via Zoom
Questions? Please contact Michael Black if you have questions.