The current research in our lab. focuses on the immune-microbiota interaction in health and diseases. Gut microbiota is considered as a hidden organ that influences host physiology even in the extra-intestinal tissues.
Therefore, imbalance of gut microbiota is the key factor that contributes to the rise of chronic immune disorders in modern countries. Based on germ-free mouse facility we had established for the first time in Korea, we are studying intestinal immune system that can shape gut microbiota.
We are also investigating the host-derived, microbial and dietary factors that affect the function of intestinal immune system. Better understanding of immune-microbiota interaction can pave the way for the development of microbiome targeted/based therapeutics against various chronic disorders such as, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), autoimmune disease, metabolic syndromes and neurological disorders.