Departmental Seminar: Dr. Amir Zarrinpar

Guest Speaker: Amir Professor, Medicine UC San Diego Title: Engineered Native Bacteria to Treat Metabolic Disorders Abstract: Circadian rhythms coordinate metabolism across tissues, but the gut microbiome is also highly rhythmic and can both respond to and influence host biological timing. Our work has focused on understanding how microbial functions, particularly bacterial modification of bile acids, contribute to the metabolic effects of interventions such as time-restricted feeding. To move beyond associations between the microbiome and disease, we developed engineered native bacteria: host-derived bacterial strains that can be genetically modified and then stably reintroduced into the gut without antibiotic pretreatment. These organisms provide a way to “knock in” specific microbial functions and directly test their effects on host physiology. I will discuss how we have used this platform to define the metabolic consequences of bile salt hydrolase activity and how we are extending the approach toward therapeutic applications in metabolic disease, aging, and phenylketonuria. Departmental Host: Professor Kuang