School of Biomedical Sciences is pleased to invite you to join the following seminar:

Date: Thursday, 23 September 2021

Time: 9:30 am

Via Zoom: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIldO6hqTkvE9R4Lr3jqjBFN_90GMoy_EqV

Meeting ID: 968 3797 2590

Password: 338309

Speaker: Professor Hua Wang, Food Science and Technology, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University

Title: “Antibiotic resistance and “modern” diseases associated with disrupted gut microbiota: Key drivers and innovative mitigation”

Biography

Professor Hua Wang has been a faculty at the Ohio State University since 2001. With expertise across lactic acid bacteria genetics, biofilm, antibiotic resistance (AR) and gut microbiome, she has revealed the critical roles of commensal and beneficial bacteria in AR ecology, and the mainstream oral antibiotic administration and gut-impacting drugs, instead of the uses of antibiotics, as the key drivers of the unintended public health consequences. Her groundbreaking discoveries have since enabled innovative mitigation of AR and an increasing list of modern diseases, with demonstrated success in both the food chain and medicine. As a former Chair of Food Microbiology Division, American Society for Microbiology (ASM), former Chair of Biotechnology Division, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and former President of Overseas Chinese Society for Microbiology (Sino-Micro), Dr. Wang has facilitated the paradigm changes in related global policies and practices, with massive public health, social and economic impact.

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance (AR) and gut microbiota disruption are considered the inevitable outcomes of antibiotic applications, and limiting the uses of antibiotics has been the primary control strategy so far. However, our results have illustrated that 1) commensal and even “beneficial” bacteria have been the key players in AR ecology, from evolution, dissemination to persistence, and 2) the mainstream oral antibiotic administration and drugs excreted through the gut, instead of the application of antibiotics itself, have been the key drivers for AR and gut microbiota disruption.  The knowledge breakthroughs have already led to effective mitigation of the largest AR gene pool in the food chain in just 5 years. With demonstrated success in animal models, prompt applications of antibiotics for effective prevention and treatment of infections including biofilm diseases with minimized AR and gut microbiota disruption are becoming an achievable goal. The upcoming paradigm changes in policy and practices are further expected to help mitigate an increasing list of “modern”, noncommunicable diseases, from Type-II diabetes to malfunction of the host immune system by disturbed gut microbiota. The impact of popular gut microbiota “repair” strategies will be discussed as well.

ALL ARE WELCOME

Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact Miss River Wong at 3917 9216.