Madison Becker | 2024 I.S. Symposium

Name: Madison Becker
Title: The Influence of the Gut Microbiome on Physiological Function: A Focus on Microorganisms and Their Role in Human Metabolism
Major: Biology
Advisor: Stephanie Strand

The bacterial organisms within the gut microbiome have complex interactions between the bacterial species that reside within the organism and the overall health of the host. The bacterial organisms influence various physiological traits of the host by impacting genetic expression, signaling pathways, and metabolism. In this study, we measured changes in C.elegan metabolism when colonized with various microbiome strains and compared the effects they produce on C.elegans physiology. Colonization by various microbiome strains resulted in measurable changes in body size, and lipid quantification. Triglyceride concentration was used to study the physiological impact of the host, utilizing oil-red and triglyceride assay techniques. The results of this study suggest that it is possible the microbiome can influence metabolic changes within the host organism, as seen in physiological changes.

Image 1: C.elegans being maintained on OP50 and NGM media
Image 2: Oil red utilized with C.elegans to observe triglyceride storage

Posted in Symposium 2024 on April 24, 2024.