Katie Pollard in conversation with Shannon Bennett
What is a human being? One short answer is that it is an individual that started out as a fertilized egg with genes from a male and a female that has developed into a fully functional biological being. But now, there is a growing group of scientists that would say that this is an incomplete definition. They might argue that we are not simply individuals but that we are actually part of our own personal ecosystem. More than 100 trillion microorganisms live in our gut, mouth, skin, and elsewhere in our bodies. Collectively known as the human microbiome, these microorganisms number ten times those of human cells. They are essential to supporting life, with benefits related to digestion, preventing the invasion of disease-causing bacteria, and the synthesis of essential nutrients and vitamins. The microbiome is linked to everything from gastrointestinal health to obesity, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s. Through evolution, the host and all of these microorganisms coexist in an integral relationship for the well being of host and microbe. What do you know about the rest of you?
As Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes and a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute for Human Genetics at University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Katie Pollard develops statistical and computational methods for the analysis of massive genomic datasets. Her groundbreaking research includes characterizing the human microbiome through metagenomic data.
Shannon Bennett is the California Academy of Science’s first-ever Associate Curator of Microbiology. In this position, Shannon broadens the Academy’s research scope to include a dedicated focus on viruses and bacteria. Her specialty lies in infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
