Linking the Obese Phenotype with the Microbial Composition of the Animal Gut
Department
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Major
Environmental Engineering
Research Advisor
Oerther, Daniel B.
Advisor's Department
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Funding Source
Mathes Endowed Chair
Abstract
Obesity in the United States has become the number one cause of morbidity and mortality with 33% of the adult population and 17% of children demonstrating an obese phenotype. Traditional approaches to combat obesity suggest that improved diet and exercise will result in weight loss. Growing evidence points to an alternative hypothesis, namely that environmental determinants interact with the microbial populations in the human gut resulting in chronic low level inflammation that produces fatty tissues. To explore this hypothesis, this study documents the correlation among the Western diet, the obese phenotype, and the composition of the microbial communities in samples removed from the guts of experimental animals. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes was used as a measure of microbial community composition. The preliminary results of this study support the hypothesis that environmental determinants play a role in the obesity epidemic.
Biography
Katie was raised in St. Louis Missouri and received a first B.S. degree in Biology in 2009 from Saint Louis University. She came to Rolla in 2011 to complete a second B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering. Her expected graduation date is May 2013.
Research Category
Sciences
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Location
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Presentation Date
10 Apr 2012, 9:00 am - 11:45 am
Linking the Obese Phenotype with the Microbial Composition of the Animal Gut
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Obesity in the United States has become the number one cause of morbidity and mortality with 33% of the adult population and 17% of children demonstrating an obese phenotype. Traditional approaches to combat obesity suggest that improved diet and exercise will result in weight loss. Growing evidence points to an alternative hypothesis, namely that environmental determinants interact with the microbial populations in the human gut resulting in chronic low level inflammation that produces fatty tissues. To explore this hypothesis, this study documents the correlation among the Western diet, the obese phenotype, and the composition of the microbial communities in samples removed from the guts of experimental animals. Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes was used as a measure of microbial community composition. The preliminary results of this study support the hypothesis that environmental determinants play a role in the obesity epidemic.
