The Department of Food Science and Nutrition presents its spring 2025 seminar series featuring Anandh Babu Pon Velayutham, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah, who will give a presentation on “Breaking Bugs: Microbial Metabolites Mediate the Vascular Benefits of Blueberries.” This seminar will take place on Thursday, January 23, from 12:45–1:45 p.m. over Zoom.

Abstract

Evidence suggests that a healthy gut microbiome is essential for metabolizing dietary phytochemicals. However, studies on the causal association among gut microbes, metabolites, and the biological activities of phytochemicals are limited. Using blueberry as a model, our study fills in some pieces of the giant puzzle regarding the influence of gut microbes in mediating the vascular effects of dietary phytochemicals. We found that a healthy gut microbiome is essential to metabolize the blueberry phytochemicals, and blueberry-derived microbial metabolites mediate the vascular benefits of dietary blueberries. Further, a strong association exists among gut microbes, blueberry-derived phytochemicals, and the vascular benefits of dietary blueberries.

Biography

Anandh Babu Pon Velayutham is an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah. His research focuses on the role of gut microbes in health and disease and is supported by grants from NIH and USDA. Specifically, his lab is interested in evaluating the causal association between dietary berries, gut microbiome, and vascular health. In addition, his lab investigates the gut microbial metabolic signatures in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Velayutham received teaching awards for four consecutive years (2021–2024) and was honored with Celebrate U! Research Honoree recognition for excellence in research at the University of Utah.