Agilent Early Career Professor Award Presented to Christoph Thaiss at University of Pennsylvania
Business Wire 7-Sep-2018 11:00 AM
Penn microbiologist recognized for groundbreaking microbiome research
Agilent
Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced that the winner of the
2018 Agilent Early Career Professor Award is Christoph Thaiss, Ph.D.,
assistant professor of microbiology in the Perelman School of Medicine
at the University
of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Thaiss's research focuses on the microbiome and how it mediates the
response of its host to environmental cues, which strongly influences
the organism's health and disease states. This research is also leading
to work on potential translational outcomes, such as innovative
therapies for common human diseases.
"We are very happy to support Dr. Thaiss and his transformative
microbiome research," said Jack Wenstrand, director of University
Relations and External Research at Agilent. "His focus to address
fundamental aspects of the interactions of the human microbiome and its
host, in the context of response to environmental clues has been
extraordinary. The potential of his research is immense."
"It is a tremendous honor for my lab and myself to receive this award,"
said Dr. Thaiss. "It will allow us to pursue the translational potential
of our findings and to explore new areas of host-microbiome interactions
that are completely unstudied so far."
Dr. Thaiss has made seminal contributions to the field of
host-microbiome interactions. Using multi-omics approaches—from
sequencing-based metagenomics to mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
analysis, coupled with in vitro and in vivo systems—his team studies the
prokaryotic microbiome, its eukaryotic host, and their interplay.
This work has resulted in the discovery that the intestinal microbiome
undergoes diurnal rhythms that strongly influence the circadian biology
of the host. Dr. Thaiss has also identified memory-like signatures in
the microbiome that predispose an obese host to recurrent weight regain.
Additionally, his work recently demonstrated that hyperglycemia causes
loss of intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota containment,
providing a mechanism for the association between obesity and chronic
multi-organ inflammation.
Numerous modern human diseases, including obesity and diabetes,
neurodegeneration, and cancer, are strongly influenced by environmental
factors. Dr. Thaiss's research seeks a deeper understanding of how
humans and their microbiota sense these environmental factors and how
their integrative activity controls tissue homeostasis and inflammation.
The Agilent
Early Career Professor Award was established in 2008. Through this
award, Agilent seeks to recognize the achievements of academic
researchers in the initial stages of their careers and to support and
develop strong collaborative relationships at the beginning of their
professional lives. There is no commitment to use the award for Agilent
products, nor any obligations regarding the research directions for
which the award is used.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is a global leader in life sciences,
diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. With more than 50 years of
insight and innovation, Agilent instruments, software, services,
solutions, and people provide trusted answers to customers' most
challenging questions. The company generated revenues of $4.47 billion
in fiscal 2017 and employs 14,200 people worldwide. Information about
Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.
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