Steven Kyle Higginbottom

Functional Divergence in Gut Clostridia from Hadza Hunter-Gatherers Reveals Diet-Adapted Metabolic Machinery That Shapes Gut Ecology

The paper identifies functional divergence in gut Clostridia from Hadza hunter-gatherers, revealing diet-adapted metabolic pathways that influence gut ecology.

Tracking gene flow in the gut microbiome reveals phage activation and host-range expansion in response to diet

The paper tracks gene flow in the gut microbiome, showing diet and community ecology influence phage activation and horizontal gene transfer.

Microbiota- and diet-specific T cells become Tregs by default

The paper shows that T cells specific for microbiota and diet antigens predominantly become regulatory T cells (iTregs) in the gut, with effector responses emerging only under specific inflammatory and genetic conditions.

Indole-3-acetic acid production is rare among gut bacteria and reflects OFOR-driven amino acid oxidation in acetogens

The paper identifies rare IAA-producing gut bacteria and links IAA synthesis to OFOR-driven amino acid oxidation in acetogens.

Ecology and engineering to modify the bile acid output of a defined microbial community

The paper shows that modifying microbial community composition, specifically overexpressing bile acid metabolic genes in Lactobacillus strains, can alter bile acid pool size and composition in mice.

A single-strain dropout screen reveals mechanistic links between microbial ecology and metabolism

The paper uses a single-strain dropout screen in a defined microbial community to show how removing specific strains affects community composition and metabolic output.

Improved mouse models of the small intestine microbiota using region-specific sampling from humans

The paper develops improved mouse models of the small intestine microbiota using region-specific human intestinal sampling and in vitro culturing, showing increased diversity and reproducibility in colonization.

Gut microbiota gate host exposure to cholinesterase inhibitors from dietary Solanums

The paper investigates how gut microbiota modify steroidal alkaloids from Solanum plants, affecting host exposure and physiological effects.