WELCOME TO THE FOLEY LAB

Gut bacteria influence host nutrition, development and immunity. In return, the host activates sophisticated defenses that affect distribution and makeup of gut-resident bacteria. Failures in microbial containment often lead to traumatic inflammatory diseases that impact host well-being. We study the effects of commensal and pathogenic bacteria on intestinal health in zebrafish and fruit fly models. These models are particularly suited for such studies, as defining features of gut function are conserved across vast evolutionary distances, and discoveries in flies and fish often inform our understanding of foundational aspects of vertebrate health.