Intestinal Microbiota

  • The development of the intestinal microbiome and its contribution to NEC and preterm morbidities (Tarr lab)
  • The development of intestinal microbiome and antibiotic resistance (Dantas lab)
  • Defining the virome of healthy and diseased infants (Holtz lab)
  • The ecology of the intestinal microbiome during early development (Gordon lab)

Ecology of the intestinal microbiome during early development

The St. Louis Neonatal Gut Microbiome Initiative utilizes a local birth cohort of health twins to examine the impact of genetics, diet and environment on development of the intestinal microbiome during early development. Additional collaborations utilizing this cohort include:

  • Dr. Jeffrey Gordon and the Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology examine geographic differences as it relates to nutrition and health.

Barbara Warner, MD
Phillip Tarr, MD

Intestinal microbiome and necrotizing enterocolitis

As part of the NIH Human Microbiome project (P.I. Tarr), we are examining the ecology of the intestinal microbiome in a preterm population within an NICU environment, identifying host and environmental factors impacting its development and the role in health and disease. This includes necrotizing enterocolitis as well as other morbidities such as late onset sepsis, chronic lung disease and neurologic development.

Phil Tarr, MD
Barbara Warner, MD

Intestinal microbiome and antibiotic resistance

In collaboration with the Dantas laboratory within the Center for Genome Sciences, we are examining the role of the neonatal intestinal microbiome as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, and determining social and environmental factors, such as antibiotic exposure and diet, in their origin and transmission.

Barbara Warner, MD
Aimee Moore, MD