Selected Publications

2025

Mechanisms of uropathogenic E. coli mucosal association in the gastrointestinal tract

Collaboration with Scott Hultgren’s lab at Washington University published in Science Advances differentiating the roles of UPEC adhesin proteins in determining the spatiotemporal dynamics of intestinal colonisation.

Cross-kingdom-mediated detection of intestinal protozoa through NLRP6

Collaboration with the labs of Stephen Girardin and Dana Philpott at the University of Toronto published in Cell Host & Microbe that identifies a novel interaction between intestinal protozoa, bacteria and sentinel goblet cells.

Enteric nervous system-derived VIP restrains differentiation of LGR5+ stem cells toward the secretory lineage impeding type 2 immune programs

Collaboration with Christoph Klose’s lab at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin published in Nature Immunology dissects an enteric nervous system - epithelial signalling pathway which regulates the differentiation of secretory cells and induction of type 2 immunity.

2024

Neonatal microbiota colonization primes maturation of goblet cell-mediated protection in the pre-weaning colon

Preprint from our lab (subsequently published in Journal of Experimental Medicine) providing the first in depth characterisation of postnatal colonic mucus barrier development and priming of the sentinel goblet cell dependent secretory response by the microbiome.

2023

Muc2-dependent microbial colonization of the jejunal mucus layer is diet sensitive and confers local resistance to enteric pathogen infection

Study from our lab published in Cell Reports identifying a novel role for jejunal mucus in supporting colonisation resistance in the small intestine. Our work provides evidence of mucus acting as a habitat for protective bacteria, rather than acting solely as a barrier mechanism.

Trans-Golgi protein TVP23B regulates host-microbe interactions via Paneth cell homeostasis and Goblet cell glycosylation

Collaboration with Emre Turer’s lab at UT Southwestern published in Nature Communications investigating the pivotal function of Tvp23b in intestinal secretory cells.

2022

Transglutaminase 3 crosslinks the secreted gel-forming mucus component Mucin-2 and stabilizes the colonic mucus layer

Collaboration with fellow Mucin Biology Groups researcher Christian Recktenwald published in Nature Communications establishing a crucial role for Tgm3 catalysed Muc2 crosslinking in preventing microbial proteolysis of intestinal mucus.

Rainbow trout gastrointestinal mucus, mucin production, mucin glycosylation and response to lipopolysaccharide.

Collaboration with Sara Linden’s lab published in Fish & Shellfish Immunology examining in vivo mucus barrier properties of the trout gastrointestinal tract.

2021

NOX1-dependent redox signaling potentiates colonic stem cell proliferation to adapt to the intestinal microbiota by linking EGFR and TLR activationCollaboration with Sjoerd van der Post published in Cell Reports demonstrating the key role of Nox1 in linking microbial components to epithelial stem cell proliferation.

NOX1-dependent redox signaling potentiates colonic stem cell proliferation to adapt to the intestinal microbiota by linking EGFR and TLR activation

Collaboration with Sjoerd van der Post published in Cell Reports demonstrating the key role of Nox1 in linking microbial components to epithelial stem cell proliferation.

An intercrypt subpopulation of goblet cells is essential for colonic mucus barrier functionCollaboration with Malin Johansson’s lab published in Science identifying the critical role of intercrypt goblet cells (icGCs) in maintaining colonic mucus barrier structure.

An intercrypt subpopulation of goblet cells is essential for colonic mucus barrier function

Collaboration with Malin Johansson’s lab published in Science identifying the critical role of intercrypt goblet cells (icGCs) in maintaining colonic mucus barrier structure.

2020

Obesity-associated microbiota contributes to mucus layer defects in genetically obese miceCollaboration with Björn Schröder’s lab at Umeå University published in JBC, identifying colonic mucus barrier defects in genetically obese mice with causal links to microbiome composition.

Obesity-associated microbiota contributes to mucus layer defects in genetically obese mice

Collaboration with Björn Schröder’s lab at Umeå University published in JBC, identifying colonic mucus barrier defects in genetically obese mice with causal links to microbiome composition.

Perspective in Science on Kirk Bergstrom and Lijun Xia’s paper describing how mucus produced in the proximal colon contributes to distal colonic barrier function.

Perspective in Science on Kirk Bergstrom and Lijun Xia’s paper describing how mucus produced in the proximal colon contributes to distal colonic barrier function.

2019

Structural weakening of the colonic mucus barrier is an early event in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis

Collaboration with Gunnar Hansson’s lab published in Gut reveals goblet cell-intrinsic defence system dysfunction in UC patients

Loss of Trefoil Factor 2 Sensitizes Rat Pups to Systemic Infection with the Neonatal Pathogen Escherichia coli K1

Collaboration with Peter Taylor’s lab at UCL published in Infection & Immunity identifies Tff2 as a key factor preventing systemic dissemination of neuropathogenic E. coli in neonates

The Nlrp6 inflammasome is not required for baseline colonic inner mucus layer formation or function

Joana Volk’s JEM paper delineates the relative roles of the inflammasome and the microbiota in shaping the barrier function of the colonic mucus layer

2018

Calcium-activated Chloride Channel Regulator 1 (CLCA1) Controls Mucus Expansion in Colon by Proteolytic Activity

Collaboration with Malin Johansson’s lab published in EBioMedicine reveals the role of goblet cell secreted CLCA1 as an important regulator of mucus processing

Bifidobacteria or Fiber Protects against Diet-Induced Microbiota-Mediated Colonic Mucus Deterioration

Collaboration with Fredrik Bäckhed’s and Gunnar Hansson’s labs published in Cell Host & Microbe characterizes how exposure to a low fibre, high fat diet results in a compromised colonic mucus barrier function

2016-17

Postnatal development of the small intestinal mucosa drives age-dependent, regio-selective susceptibility to Escherichia coli K1 infection

Study published in Scientific Reports showing how neuropathogenic E. coli exploit underdeveloped neonatal goblet cell-intrinsic defences to invade the small intestine

A sentinel goblet cell guards the colonic crypt by triggering Nlrp6-dependent Muc2 secretion

Study published in Science describing and characterizing a novel sub-population of colonic goblet cells that integrate innate immune signalling pathways to regulate mucus secretion in response to bacteria

Gram-positive bacteria are held at a distance in the colon mucus by the lectin-like protein ZG16

Investigation published in PNAS characterizing the goblet cell-secreted ZG16 as a peptidoglycan-binding protein that aggregates Gram-positive bacteria and prevents them penetrating into the colonic mucus barrier

All publications