SBME Seminar with Dr. Curtis Huttenhower – Microbiome alphabet soup: The HVP, HMBR, OHMR, and HCMPH

Meeting ID: 95624 898672

Password: 898672

Location: DMCBH 101 Lecture Theatre, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health Building, 2215 Wesbrook Mall

The School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology are excited to co-host a seminar by Dr. Curtis Huttenhower. Professor in the Departments of Biostatistics and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an Associate Member at the Broad Institute.

Microbial communities have become infamous for their “dark matter” content, which can mean many things – but they all point toward the treasure trove of uncharacterized bacteria, viruses, proteins, chemicals, and regulatory interactions that drive these ubiquitous ecosystems. I will discuss several of my group’s efforts to “light up” molecular function – particularly within the human microbiome – starting with the recently-launched Human Virome Program. This NIH Common Fund initiative aims to characterize the baseline, body-wide, endogenous human virome, comprising both phage and eukaryotic viruses. We also created the Human Microbiome Bioactives Resource to provide computational and experimental protocols for characterizing different types of microbial dark matter, resulting in a dramatic increase in putative functional assignments for protein and small molecule products. Methods from both of these initiatives have been applied in our One Health Microbiome Resource, which integrates human microbiome science with that of our closest companion animals: cats and dogs. Finally, much of this research occurs under the umbrella of the Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health center, which provides a home for microbiome sciences through basic research, translation, policy, education, and outreach. Center activities include core services, training, seminars and symposia, collaboration infrastructure, and both large and small research projects, with the goal of improving both human and animal health through characterization of microbial biochemistry and function.

Dr. Curtis Huttenhower’s Biography:

Dr. Curtis Huttenhower is a Professor in the Departments of Biostatistics and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an Associate Member at the Broad Institute. He co-directs the Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center and the associated Harvard Chan Microbiome Analysis and Collection Cores. He participated extensively in the NIH Human Microbiome Project, led the Microbiome Quality Control Project and the Human Microbiome Bioactives Resource, and currently co-leads the Human Virome Program Coordinating Center. His lab focuses on computational methods for functional analysis of microbial communities, particularly for the purpose of linking human population epidemiology to microbial molecular and chemical function. This entails systems biology reconstructions integrating metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and other microbial community ‘omics, the human microbiome in autoimmune disease such as IBD, and its potential as a biomarker and route for therapeutic intervention.

Website: https://huttenhower.sph.harvard.edu