‘From worm genetics to human health: discovery & exploration of the roles of bacterial metabolites’ — Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 12:10 p.m.

The Department of Translational Medicine & Physiology welcomes Dr. Min Han, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder on Tuesday, Dec. 9. He will be providing his seminar at 12:10 p.m., “From worm genetics to human health: discovery and exploration of the beneficial roles of bacterial metabolites,” in SAC 347 on the Spokane campus and via Zoom.

Our philosophy using animal models to explore novel biological problems related to human health. Following the exploration of lipid functions and novel nutrient-sensing mechanisms, researchers in the lab have taken innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to uncover the unexpected “nutrient” value of two bacterial metabolites. One of them, an E. coli-produced siderophore called enterobactin, was found to benefit animal physiology by transporting iron into intestinal cells. The other, muropeptides derived from the peptidoglycan of the bacterial cell wall, was found to enter the mitochondria of intestinal cells of animals to promote oxidative phosphorylation and suppress mitochondrial stress. I will describe our recent efforts to analyze the mechanisms underlying these roles and to explore their potential usage to treat human health conditions.

Questions/Zoom link? Contact Michelle Sanchez at michelle.r.sanchez@wsu.edu.

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