Seminar: Kyle Burrows

Local signals, distant consequences: How commensals and niche-derived signals shape immunity within and beyond the gut

The intestinal microbiome plays a critical role in shaping immunity, yet our understanding of these interactions has largely focused on bacteria. My work explores how a less-studied member of the microbiome, a commensal protozoan, can shape immune responses in the lung through a gut-initiated immune circuit. A key component of this response is the group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2), which integrates local signals to adapt its function to different tissue environments, thereby regulating immune responses within and across organs. Altogether, this highlights how local microbial and tissue signals can shape immune responses beyond their site of origin.