Using engineered native bacteria to understand the relationship between altered microbial functional dynamics and age-related circadian dysmetabolism
Aging is associated with a deterioration of various biological processes including metabolism and circadian rhythms. The gut microbiome can integrate signals such as nutrients and bile acids and orchestrates the host rhythms in organs such as intestines and liver. Dr. Saram’s central hypothesis is that aging is associated with disruptions in these signals which lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other age-related diseases. However, until recently it was not clear how these changes in bile acids contribute to age-related dysfunctions. Dr. Saran believes that the link between gut microbiome and age-related metabolism may be the gut bacteria-specific enzyme, bile salt hydrolase (BSH), which breaks down bile acids in the intestine. The lab has developed an innovative method to knock in this function into gut microbiome and significantly improve metabolic parameters in advanced age mice possibly by improving circadian rhythms. The goal of Dr. Saran’s research is to understand how this bacterial function improves health in aged mice and explore the role of the circadian clock in carrying out its effects.
