Grant: CIHR Fellowship

In the last several years a great deal of attention has been given to understanding the role of commensal microbiota in the development and progression of diseases. In particular, alteration in the gut microbiota have been suggested to be important in various conditions such as irritable bowel disease (IBD) and Crohn's disease. However, it is not clear what host factors play a role in determining the composition of the microbiota. We hypothesize that various components of the immune system are important in regulating the normal microbiota. We hope to assess this hypothesis by comparing the composition of the gut microbiota of mice with various innate and adaptive immune system alterations to determine what aspects of the immune response are responsible for shaping the microbiota. We are also interested in understanding what role the microbiota plays in the induction of an immune response against Salmonella Typhimurium infection. WE hope to examine this relationship by utilizing various antibiotic treatments to cause different shifts in the gut microflora community and examining the immune response generated in response to Salmonella Typhimurium infection.