Hosted by the Microbiology and Immunology department. 

Target Audience

Des Moines University faculty, staff, and students.

Objectives

1. Discuss the role of the resident microbiota in the host’s predisposition to colitis.
2. Explain the difference between germfree and gnotobiotic as well as commensalism and mutualism.
3. Describe various microbial-related factors that impact mucosal homeostasis.
4. Discuss the community dynamics of the colonic, resident microbiota as it relates to health and disease.

Speaker

Michael Wannemuehler, PhD
Professor and Chair, Vet Microbiology and Preventive Medicine

Dr. Wannemuehler was trained as a microbiologist with a focus on the host immune response following vaccination. During his postdoctoral training, he became familiar with the concepts of oral tolerance, use of germfree and gnotobiotic mouse models to evaluate oral tolerance.  Once at Iowa State University, he used his training to address a bacterial-induced disease in swine caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae that required the participation of the pathogen, resident microbiota, and host’s immune response in order for the clinical disease to manifest. More recently, he has been examining how bacterial provocateur’s (e.g., Helicobacter species, AIEC strains of E. coli) introduced into the colonic bacterial community impact mucosal homeostasis and the host’s susceptibility to colitic insults. These studies have begun to use high throughput methods of analyses to assess the microbial community and changes in host and microbial gene expression.