The human body is colonized by trillions of microorganisms collectively known as the human microbiome. Research suggests that our microbiome may influence a wide range of physiological functions and health, from immune function to mood. However, there are still many unanswered questions about how these microbes interact with each other and how those interactions affect human biology. By studying large networks of microbial interactions and functions in industrialized and non-industrialized human communities, this doctoral dissertation research will examine the extent of ecological diversity in human gut microbiomes and how differences in lifestyle impact this diversity. The research team will provide hands-on workshops to participant communities to discuss how their participation helps to advance microbiome research. The project will also support student training and mentoring of individuals from unrepresented groups in STEM, supporting broader participation in a rapidly developing area of biological research.
Humans living a Western-industrialized lifestyle have markedly different microbiomes than those living a more traditional, non-industrial lifestyle, such as hunter-gatherers and rural farmers from developing countries. Earlier studies have determined that diet, antibiotic use, and contact between humans and other animals all have major impacts on microbiome diversity. In a number of these studies, the way in which microbial diversity was estimated did not necessarily account for the fact that microbiomes are complex ecologies. In this study, the researchers will investigate ecological dynamics and microbial interactions in microbiomes from humans and pigs on family farms in Oklahoma and compare them to humans and pigs from the African country of Burkina Faso. By comparing both humans and pigs in an industrialized country to a developing country, the researchers will document the effects of lifestyle on the human microbiome with a focus on human-animal interactions. By investigating the ecological dynamics of functional redundancy and resilience in gut microbiomes, the project will advance knowledge about complex microbial ecology.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
