When Bacteria Take Over
What if the bacteria living in our gut were affecting our brains? As part of Brain Awareness Week*, the UM invites you to a lecture on these unassuming inhabitants that seem to have such a significant impact on our health and behavior.
Help! Bacteria are invading us! Don’t worry: there’s nothing to be alarmed about. Bacteria, as well as viruses, parasites, and fungi—our bodies are home to many microorganisms that thrive on our various mucous membranes, particularly in the gut. It’s a vibrant community that scientists call the “microbiome.” And we coexist in harmony, explains Philippe Berta…
2 kg of microscopic organisms
“The human digestive tract alone is home to some 100 trillion microorganisms: in the intestines alone, they weigh a total of 1.5 to 2 kg! And they contain up to 10 times more bacteria than the total number of cells in a human body,” continues this professor at the University of Nîmes, who heads the Biology-Health master’s program’s BIOTIN track at the university.
“Microbiota”? A term we didn’t know just a few years ago… Because we used to talk about “intestinal flora.” Before realizing its importance, and especially before making a stunning discovery: this “flora” is anything but vegetative, and is actually highly active. It is believed to influence digestive, metabolic, immune, and neurological functions. So much so that the gut microbiota is now considered by some researchers to be an organ in its own right.
“The microbiota regulates many aspects of our physiology, including nutrition, maturation, and the functioning of our immune system. Today, a wealth of evidence suggests that this same microbiota has the ability to regulate the development of our brain, its functioning, and even our behavior,”explains Philippe Berta, who will present examples of recent data on the possible contribution of this microbiota to various pathological conditions: Parkinson’s disease, autism, stress, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
“Bacteria and the Brain: A Story of an Encounter”
Wednesday, March 15, 2017, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Site des Carmes, Nîmes
* The Brain in All Its Dimensions!
From March 2 to 21, it’s Brain Awareness Week: events bringing the general public and researchers together to explore the brain, this still largely unexplored world. Lectures, film screenings with discussions, video cafés, science bars, fun workshops, and theater: in short, a wide range of fun, educational, and fascinating events in Montpellier, Sète, Nîmes, and Frontignan. And they’re free.
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