S1 E5, PUFAs and infection, Part 2: The project design

Episode 5, part 2 - Will sets up the infection project (which was very enlightening for me).

In part two of the PUFA episode, Will gives some fascinating detail on the bacteria of choice for this study, yersinia enterocolitica, and how exactly it goes about causing foodborne illness in humans. Essentially, the bacteria paralyzes the immune system by injecting immune cells with a "needle" (here we go with needles again) and depositing virulence factors. So, the question the lab wanted to answer was how omega-6 fatty acids, which are consumed in excess in the US, might affect a gut-borne diarrhea causing pathogen.

Important numbers:
2011 yearly foodborne illness estimates for the US (Center for Disease Control)
• 48 million – people affected
• 128,000 – people hospitalized
• 3,000 – people die

2010 yearly foodborne illness estimates (World Health Organization)
• 600 million – people affected
• 420,000 – people die
• 30% – of the 420,000 are children

If you want to read more about foodborne illness and food safety or be reminded of the greatness of Stefon (SNL), check out the show notes on the Gut Questions? podcast website under “Show Notes" → www.yourgutquestions.com/show-notes. Also, f you want to know about the needle reference I make above, check out Gut Questions? episode 1, part 1 - Introducing Will: from brain to gut, check it out → YouTube or Spotify.

If you've gut a question(s) you want Will to answer in an upcoming podcast, shoot me an email at aparker@medicine.washington.edu

A bunch of our websites and social media platforms:

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Gut Questions? website www.yourgutquestions.com
Gut Questions? Instagram www.instagram.com/gutquestions/

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DePaolo Lab website: www.depaololab.com
DePaolo Lab Instagram: www.instagram.com/depaololab/
DePaolo Lab Twitter: www.twitter.com/depaololab

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CMiST, Center for Microbiome Sciences & Therapeutics: www.cmistuw.org

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Will's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/williamdepaolo/

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#gutmicrobiome
#guthealth
#PUFAS
#polyunsaturated
#fattyacids
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