Research

We believe that the generation of fundamental scientific knowledge is the most certain way to discover new therapeutics and to benefit humanity.

Our long-term goals are to define general principles of molecular recognition in the gut and to elucidate mechanisms by which microbial metabolites impact human physiology and health. Using a combination of germ-free mice, bacterial strains isolated from human fecal samples, and massively parallel reporter assays in cell lines and human enteroids, we are interested in “deorphanizing” receptors in the gut, and decoding the logic for ligand detection and discrimination in our intestines. These efforts are expected to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying many disorders, and to improve human health and quality of life.