The Bess Lab
Discovering & Engineering Microbiome Chemistry
Watercolor by Rebecca McGillivary, @rebmcg
ADME Models
We are characterizing the chemical-reaction repertoire of the gut microbiome—informing drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) models—to uncover the microbiome's impacts on pharmacology and health.
Hormone Signaling
We are elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which the microbiome mediates hormone levels in humans, which has important implications for health and disease.
Gut—Brain Axis
There is mounting evidence that the human gut microbiome impacts the brain. We are unravelling the molecular-level mechanisms causally linking the gut microbiome to Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis.
Dietary Fiber
Lignocellulose is an abundant but understudied dietary fiber. We are discovering how gut bacterial degradation of this dietary fiber shapes the functions and chemical environment of the gut microbiome.
© 2022, The Bess Lab
Aug. 24, 2021
Check out Liz Ortiz de Ora's Commentary about how C. elegans can be used to dissect the gut–grain axis.
Oct. 1, 2020
Honored to be supported by the UC Cancer Research Coordinating Committee for our research on the gut microbiome's role in breast cancer therapy.
May. 28, 2021
Congratulations to Kylie Uyeda and Zane Long, the newest PhD candidates in the Bess Lab!
July 17, 2020
Bess Lab celebrates its first student advancing to PhD candidacy! Congratulations, Barry!
Mar. 23, 2021
Congratulations to graduate student Kylie Uyeda for being awarded an Honorable Mention for her application to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program!
June 16, 2020
Bess Lab awarded UC Irvine Hellman Fellowship!
Mar. 23, 2021
Congratulations to graduate student Zane Long for being awarded an Honorable Mention for his application to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program!
Jan. 10, 2020
Elizabeth named a Scialog fellow by Research Corp.
Jan. 5, 2021
Congratulations to 3rd-year graduate student Barry Rich for receiving the prestigious ARCS Scholar Award.
Oct. 10, 2019
Honored to be supported by the American Cancer Society and UCI for our work on estrogen and the gut microbiome.