Hungry Gut Bacteria and the Struggle for Survival

The human gut is home to trillions of living microbes. The tiny members of this community face a lot of challenges: they must adapt to our diet and compete for space with their endless neighbours, all while placating a challenging ‘frenemy’ – the immune system. Kelsey Huus introduces the fascinating world of intestinal bacteria and describes how food scarcity causes hungry bacteria to go into hiding from the immune system.

Kelsey began her PhD in the department of Microbiology & Immunology in 2015, after completing an undergraduate biology degree in both English and French at the University of Ottawa. Her research focuses on intestinal bacteria in malnutrition and she has received several academic scholarships for this work, including a Vanier award. Kelsey is grateful to have called Green College home for the past four years and to have served on many of its committees. Besides bacteria, she loves languages, musical theatre, and the great outdoors.