Research is focused on pig and rodent models of the human gastro-intestinal tract. Germ-free neonatal piglets and mice are orally inoculated with human fecal microbiome from adults or infants. The researchers at the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health are using high-throughput sequencing of 16S amplicons to profile the transplanted intestinal microbial populations. Humanized pigs and rodents are used to model enteric infections and the interaction between pathogen, microbiome and the host.
Human microbiome research at the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health is focused on pig and rodent models of the human gastro-intestinal tract.