UVic Café Scientifique: What’s in our guts? How our intestinal immune system ...

Event Description

What’s in our guts? How our intestinal immune system works and how gut-resident microbes and parasites can influence our health

Our intestines are a challenging site for our immune system to manage: every time we eat or drink we risk introducing infectious pathogens into our body. Our gut immune system must be ready to respond to infections while being careful not to overreact, as inappropriate gut immune responses could lead to food allergies or damage-causing inflammation. How is this balance maintained, and what can sometimes go wrong leading to disease? How do the microbes and parasitic worms that can live in our guts influence intestinal immune responses and affect our overall health? Join us to learn the answers to these questions and more!

Speaker: Lisa Reynolds, Associate Professor, Biochemistry & Microbiology