System Level Modeling of the Human Gut Microbiome
Prasad Dhurjati, PhD
Professor of Chemical & Bio-molecular Engineering, Joint appointment as
Professor Biological Sciences and Professor of Mathematical Sciences,
University of Delaware
Thursday, September 20, 2018, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EDT
Register for free at https://www.rosaandco.com/webinars
Abstract:
The human gut is host to a diverse and complex ecosystem of over a thousand
microorganisms that are collectively known as the " gut microbiome". The gut
microbiome has already been correlated with over a hundred diseases and has
created a revolution in medical science. These microbes play a major role in
providing nutrition for our body and maintaining a strong immune system.
Modeling of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the microbes is useful to
investigate how the gut microbiome may influence "disease progression". The
models could also help in designing strategies to dynamically manipulate the
system trajectory away from a "disease" state to a "healthy" state. The
importance of microbial dynamics will be illustrated in the context of our
research on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). System level modeling approaches
using connectivity maps, rules, and mathematical equations have provided
insights into the dynamic changes in the gut microbiome in ASD. Such
system-level approaches can potentially be used for personalized and predictive
diagnoses and for preventive nutritional recommendations.