Over this past week I really enjoyed listening to everyone’s chalk talks and learning about their projects. I was particularly interested in Piper’s talk and her project on the gut microbiome. Nutrition is very important to me, so I’m always eager to learn more about the interaction of our nutrition, the immune system, and the gut.
Piper works in Dr. Lawrence David’s lab and her project revolves around the question: How does total parenteral nutrition (TPN) affect gut fiber fermentation? TPN is a form of nutrient delivery from a tube that is commonly used for patients undergoing HSCT, a stem cell chemotherapy treatment for cancer. TPN is necessary because HSCT can cause nausea and negative side effects which make it difficult to eat. One big downside to TPN is that the nutrients never reach the gut, and the gut microbiome is starved. Piper is looking to explore the negative effects of TPN on the gut, specifically fiber. Piper’s lab has previously established the importance of fiber for gut health, specifically the amount of bacteria and level of diversity.
Piper did an amazing job of explaining the background information that was necessary to understand her research question. Throughout her entire presentation, she kept the whole audience engaged, and it was easy to follow the logic of her project and methods. Piper emphasized the significance of her project in relation to the issues TPN causes and how her work could open the door for research on less harmful solutions. Of course, her research also has the potential to further what scientists know about the gut microbiome. Overall, I was very impressed by Piper’s chalk talk and I’m excited to see how her project progresses!
