ANAHEIM, CA – The human species is dependent for its survival on the billions of microorganisms that inhabit multiple environmental niches within and on the human body. While microbes are commonly associated with diseases and infections, they are also vital in essential, beneficial roles such as digestion, where they help synthesize vitamins and ferment complex indigestible carbohydrates.
The overwhelming majority of microbial species (>99%) resist cultivation in the laboratory. However, recent advances in microbial genomics and sequencing technology have allowed researchers to study microbes in their natural environment. The identification and characterization of these microbial communities will undoubtedly establish links between these microorganisms and disease, their roles in the development of the immune system and their overall impact on human evolution.
Claire Fraser-Liggett, director of the Institute for Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a globally recognized microbial genomics scientist, is a lead researcher with the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), an international National Institutes of Health roadmap initiative to study the impact of microbes on human health and disease.
Fraser-Liggett's research focuses on microbes' roles in the development of the immune system and their overall impact on human health. Her HMP research has particular emphasis on the human gastrointestinal tract, since this environment is home to the largest number of microbial "partners." One of the ultimate goals of the HMP is to better understand our microbiota, and, in the future, to be able to optimize the beneficial effects of microbiota for each individual.
"The human GI tract contains the densest concentration of bacteria in our bodies, and studying these GI microbes gives us insights into health and illness in the developed world and in developing countries," said Fraser-Liggett.
Fraser-Liggett will present a talk at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's annual meeting titled "The Role of Microbial Communities in Health and Disease." The talk will take place on Monday, April 26, at 3:30 pm PST in Anaheim Convention Center Room 304D.
NOTE TO EDITORS: The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting is part of the Experimental Biology 2010 conference that will be held April 24-28, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The press is invited to attend or to make an appointment to interview Dr. Fraser-Liggett. Please contact Nicole Kresge at 202.316.5447 or nkresge@asbmb.org.
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (www.asbmb.org) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 12,000 members. Founded in 1906, the Society is based in Bethesda, Maryland, on the campus of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. The Society's purpose is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through publication of scientific and educational journals: the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, and the Journal of Lipid Research, organization of scientific meetings, advocacy for funding of basic research and education, support of science education at all levels, and promoting the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce.