Every part of your life, from your birth to the places you’ve lived to the snack you just devoured, shapes the community of microbes living in your intestines. This diverse population of bacteria, called the gut microbiome, feeds on the nutrients and chemicals in what you eat and drink. It shifts and transforms in response to each meal.
Over time, changes in your gut microbiome can significantly impact your health: A well-balanced gut microbiome can benefit mental and physical health, but imbalances in gut microbial communities are associated with a wide array of diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. Snehal Chaudhari, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, wants to know exactly why and how the gut microbiome has such an oversized impact on the onset and progression of disease.
Working with researchers in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and industry partners, Chaudhari is investigating the compounds that gut-dwelling microbes produce. Her research will help develop ways to support human health — and keep our gut microbiomes thriving.
Chaudhari sat down with Department of Biochemistry science writer Renata Solan to talk about her research and goals, and future of gut microbiome research in the Spring 2025 edition of GROW from the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences. You can read the entire interview here.