Our Research
Metatranscriptomics (“MTX”) is a powerful method for measuring microbial gene expression
Metatranscriptomics (abbreviated "MTX") is a powerful method for measuring the gene expression (functional activity) of many members of a microbial community all at the same time by using shotgun DNA sequencing technology. In a recent review article, the Huttenhower...
Can we treat bowel cancer by targeting the bugs in our guts?
Bowel cancer Cancer refers to a collection of diseases in which some of the body’s cells divide uncontrollably and can spread to other parts of the body. Cancers can arise throughout the body but are generally divided into solid (e.g. bowel) or blood-based (e.g....
My Search for New BALOs
Bdellovibrio-and-Like Organisms (BALOs) are bacteria that have a unique lifestyle; they are predatory bacteria that attack and kill other bacterial species. The majority of the BALOs do this by squeezing inside the prey bacteria and using enzymes to dissolve the...
Biomarker for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (LARC) Identified from the Gut Microbiome
A team led by VHIO Principal Investigator and OPTIMISTICC scientist Dr. Paolo Nuciforo has found an association between the persistence of Fusobacterium nucleatum in rectal tumors of LARC patients after chemotherapy and higher rates of rectal cancer relapse....
Studying the CRC Microbiome in Mice and a Robogut
Fusobacterium nucleatum(Fn) is a common bacterial member of the human oral microbiome—and it is an opportunist. When Fn is found elsewhere in the human body, the microbe is typically associated with disease, and colorectal cancer (CRC) is one such disease. In fact,...
