Cutting edge technology. Innovative research. A true desire to find G.I. disease cures.
All exist in Meren’s Lab.
Located at UChicago Medicine and funded by GIRF, Meren’s Lab brings together a network of experts. They aim to understand the diversity, ecology, and evolution of microbial life and how these can lead to cures for common and rare diseases.
The lab is headed by A. Murat Eren (aka Meren), Assistant Professor at UChicago Medicine with a deep interest in the human gut microbial ecosystem due to its complexity, accessibility, and importance.
With their combined knowledge, Meren’s team of 10 researchers investigates diverse microbial communities and their role in different environments such as the human gastrointestinal tract.
Using meticulously designed experiments, the scientists in Meren’s Lab conduct groundbreaking research, allowing us to understand how microbes interact, adapt, and evolve in their surroundings.
One of the Lab’s recently published studies reexamines the way we approach IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases. In partnership with award-winning Dr. Eugene Chang, they are studying microbial communities in IBD patients. By studying the evolution of these microorganisms, they hope to discover new connections between microbial communities and IBD.
“Thanks to GIRF funds, we can generate high-quality research to study microbes,” says Meren. “We just are at the beginning of this new frontier of life sciences. We are quite excited about what we can accomplish by combining the research we have developed over the last three years.”
GIRF is proud to support Meren’s Lab and looks forward to what they will accomplish in 2019. To learn more, visit their website here.