Research

The Griffin Lab integrates field, laboratory, and quantitative techniques to investigate microbial symbioses, with a primary focus on interactions between microbes and metazoan hosts. Our research aims to identify the factors shaping host-associated microbiome diversity and to understand how microbial partnerships influence host health, function, and ecological success.

Form and function of host-associated microbiotas

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Host-associated microbiomes are diverse communities of microorganisms consisting of archaea, bacteria, microeukaryotes, and viruses. Those microorganisms live in symbiosis with their hosts and impact important physiological and biological processes of their hosts. We study, broadly, how microbiome form (e.g., community composition) and function (e.g., microbial processes) combine to impact on host fitness.

Helminth-associated microbiomes

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Helminths (parasitic worms) are important pathogens of humans and wildlife. Despite this, little work has been done on their microbiomes; thus, how helminth-associated microbiomes impact helminth fitness is largely unknown. To better characterize their role in helminth fitness, we use a combination of field work, experimental infections, and bioinformatics to elucidate the role of microorganisms in helminth physiology and biology. Current projects focus on the rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a nematode responsible for the human disease, neuroangiostrongyliasis.