Dr. Conway's Lab

We study the physiological state of colonized bacteria in the mammalian large intestine. With NIH funding we characterize the symbiotic relationship between E. coli and anaerobes that degrade complex polysaccharides, which in turn release simple sugars to cross-feed E. coli. The major goal of this project is to determine mechanisms of nutrient competition between E. coli strains in a mouse model of intestinal colonization. In addition, we develop intuitive displays and computational environments for functional genomics data analysis.

Illustration of how E. coli (A) obtains nutrients in the mucosal layer of the large intestine. Anaerobes (B) produce glycosyl hydrolases (C) which degrade complex polysaccharides in dietary fibers and mucin (D) to release oligosaccharides (E), disaccharides (F), and monosaccharides (G). Oligosaccharides are preferred by anaerobes while monosaccharides and disaccharides are preferred by E. coli.

Illustration of how E. coli (A) obtains nutrients in the mucosal layer of the large intestine. Anaerobes (B) produce glycosyl hydrolases (C) which degrade complex polysaccharides in dietary fibers and mucin (D) to release oligosaccharides (E), disaccharides (F), and monosaccharides (G). Oligosaccharides are preferred by anaerobes while monosaccharides and disaccharides are preferred by E. coli.