Pilar Manrique
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Montana State University
Speaker: Pilar Manrique, doctoral student,
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Montana State University
Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Time: 4:10 PM
Place: Byker Auditorium, Chemistry & Biochemistry Building
Title: The Human Gut Virome in Health and Disease
Summary
The human gut is colonized by millions of bacteria (gut microbiome), which are essential for human health. Upon disease of the gut microbiome, the community structure of the microbiome is altered (dysbiosis). Bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) play key roles in shaping the function and structure of bacterial communities. We have identified different bacteriophages communities present in healthy vs. diseased gut microbial communities that could potentially be used as disease markers.
About the speaker
Manrique studies the role of viruses in shaping the structure and function of the bacterial communities associated with the human gut. Changes in the gut microbiome composition and structure negatively impact human health, and correlate with important diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Her research focuses on defining the role of viruses associated with the human gut microbiome in affecting human health and disease. She has isolated viruses from human samples, directly sequenced the isolated viral genomes, and applied advance bioinformatics analysis to understand the viral community composition and temporal dynamics in the human gut.
She is the recipient of a 2014 Kopriva Graduate Student Fellowship.