Guest Editors
Sarah C. Pearce
US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center
Dr. Sarah Pearce obtained her undergraduate degree in Veterinary Sciences from The University of Arizona and her Master’s and PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Iowa State University, largely focusing on gastrointestinal effects due to environmental hyperthermia. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School utilizing primary intestinal organoid models to study intestinal barrier function, nutrient sensing. In addition, she worked on a murine intestinal perfusion model for probiotics. For the last three years, Dr. Pearce has been working as a Research Physiologist with the US Army, examining the effects of military-relevant stressors on gastrointestinal function as well as nutritional-interventions which may modulate the gut microbiome and response to stress.
Gregory J. Weber
US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center
Dr. Weber is a Research Physiologist with the US Army at the Combat Capabilities Development Command – Solider Center in the Combat Feeding Directorate. His primary interests are aimed at developing strategies to help optimize the performance of the Warfighter in the theatre of battle, with a focus on nutritional intervention and its role in modulating the gut microbiome to combat military-relevant stressors. Current investigations utilize human intestinal organoids as a model system to study host-microbiome interactions. Dr. Weber received his Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from Carroll University and his PhD in Environmental and Genetic Toxicology from Purdue University. Dr. Weber joined the Department of Physiology at the University of Louisville, where he completed a post-doctoral fellowship in renal and intestinal physiology using rodent and primary cell models. At Louisville, he developed several projects aimed at delineating the role of the gut microbiome in hypertension and Type-I and Type-II diabetes. In addition, he evaluated several approaches to alleviate adverse effects of these diseases, including exercise and nutritional interventions.
Collection Overview
The gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of bacterial cells within the gastrointestinal tract, is known to play a fundamental role in many host processes, including digestion of nutrients and immune response. In addition, the epithelial barrier is the main host defense mechanism against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Epithelial cells produce mucin, which acts as a first layer defense while also providing a niche and energy source for some bacteria. Epithelial cells also secrete antimicrobial peptides, chemokines, and cytokines while bacteria normally found in the mammalian gut synthesize vitamins and other beneficial microbial metabolites.
Our understanding of these complex communities and how they interact with the host, including the underlying causes of dysbiosis, continues to advance rapidly. Research has continued to characterize changes in the gut microbiota in health and stress/disease, utilizing continuously evolving tools and approaches both in in vitro and in vivo model systems. Greater mechanistic understanding of the functions and community dynamics of gut microbiota and how they contribute to or protect against disease is a major focus of recent initiatives. Of particular interest are non-drug based interventions, including nutritional and physical activity. The aim of this collection is to provide the scientific community a resource of comprehensive protocols related to the field of gut microbiota as well as highlight the emerging area of host-gut microbiome integration modeling. Examples include, but not limited to, fecal transplantation, co-culture of various mammalian and bacterial cell types, bacteriophage and/or other genetic manipulations, microfluidic devices, and fermentation methods.
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