Our Research
At the Zarrinpar Lab, we are pioneering the study of the gut microbiome and its impact on human health. We explore the intersection of circadian biology, gut physiology, and the gut microbiome to understand their collective influence on a number of diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, infertility, and cognitive disorders.
The main area of our investigation is the relationship between the gut microbiome and the circadian rhythms of enterocytes and hepatic cells. We are particularly interested in understanding how dysfunctions at this interface contribute to metabolic and inflammatory disorders. Moreover, by studying the microbiome as a dynamic system, and by better understanding the role of specific bacterial functions, we can formulate hypotheses about the role of specific microbial functions affecting host health at specific times.
To test these hypotheses, the lab has pioneered a new technique to functionally manipulate the gut microbiome using engineered native bacteria. This allows for in-depth, mechanistic studies of host-microbe relationships. Our ground-breaking work facilitates the “knock-in” of specific functions to modulate physiology in conventionally-raised wild-type hosts in non-sterile facilities. Our ultimate objective is to translate these discoveries into effective therapies, hoping to significantly improve human health and reduce the impact of numerous diseases, thereby manifesting the true potential of microbiome manipulation.
About Us
We are scientists and medical professionals drawn together by the desire to find new ways to fight old diseases.
Key Publications
Intestinal Transgene Delivery with Native E. coli Chassis Allows Persistent Physiological Changes
Author(s): Russell, B.J., Brown, S.D., Siguenza, N., Mai, I., Saran, A.R., Lingaraju, A., Maissy, E.S. Dantas Machado, A.C., Pinto, A.F.M., Sanchez, C., Rossitto, L.-A., Miyamoto, Y., Richter, R.A., Ho, S.B., Eckmann, L., Hasty, J., Gonzalez, D.J., Saghatelian, A., Knight, R., Zarrinpar, A.
Source: Cell (2022) 185:3263
Diet and Feeding Pattern Modulate Diurnal Dynamics of the Ileal Microbiome and Transcriptome
Author(s): Dantas Machado, A.C., Brown, S.D., Lingaraju, A., Sivaganesh, V., Martino, C., Chaix, A., Zhao, P., Pinto, A.F.M., Chang, M.W., Richter, R.A., Saghatelian, A., Saltiel, A.R., Knight, R., Zarrinpar, A.
Source: Cell Reports (2022) 40:111008
The Gut Microbial Bile Acid Modulation and Its Relevance to Digestive Health and Diseases
Author(s): Fogelson K.A., Dorrestein P.C.*, Zarrinpar, A.*, Knight, R.* (* co-corresponding authors)
Source: Gastroenterology (2023) 164:1069-1085
Circadian Rhythms in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease
Author(s): Saran, A.R., Dave, S., Zarrinpar, A.
Source: Gastroenterology (2020) 158:1948