Microbes aren’t so scary after all

After 3 episodes of topics outside of my comfort zone it was wonderful to be back in my wheelhouse, chatting with Sue Lynch, the Director of the UCSF Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine. Sue was a big part of my decision to come to UCSF and exemplifies the benefits of studying human biology at a range of scales, from “ecosystems to molecules.” Her translational research program has deepened our understanding of the role of the microbiome in allergy and asthma with a particular focus on the establishment of the microbiome early in life. Her team has identified microbes that could be administered to high-risk infants for prevention of childhood allergy and asthma, leading to a spin-off company. She talks about the importance of microbiology for understanding human biology and her path from environmental microbial ecology to the human microbiome.