Farncombe Institute

Our mission is to understand the role of microbes and diet in the maintenance of health and in the expression of disease within and beyond the digestive tract.

[Cell Host & Microbe @cellhostmicrobe]

Our April issue is now live!
On the cover: Peanut allergy & microbes

Bacteria in the oral cavity & small intestine can degrade immunodominant peanut allergens, limiting anaphylaxis
https://t.co/ibKjXf89My

[Alberto Caminero @AlbertoCaminer7]

Thrilled to share our latest study in Cell Host & Microbe!
We show that microbes in saliva and the small intestine can break down peanut allergens, dampening IgE binding and anaphylaxis.
Individuals with higher peanut tolerance are enriched for these bacteria.

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

What a wonderful presentation by Dr. Paul Kubes from @queensu on how to image immune cells! Thank you for coming and sharing with us your recent findings and truly amazing videos!

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

This week at noon rounds, we have heard all the excellent ongoing work in the @LabCaminero by Dr. Caminero @AlbertoCaminer7 on the role of gut microbes in food sensitivities. Congratulations!

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

Welcome back to Noon Rounds!!
We have opened the 2025-2026 season last week with a great talk on chronic stress by Dr. Chiko Shimbori, previously from @Bercik_Collins Lab and now back in Japan at the Microbial Research Center for Health and Medicine in Osaka.

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

@VerduLab presented on the importance of intestinal microbiota in the modulation of celiac disease, highlighting bacterial metabolism in the small intestine!

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

@Bercik_Collins Effect of gluten and wheat on symptoms and behaviours in adults with irritable bowel syndrome: a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover trial - The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology https://t.co/UnuYU16DWQ

[McMaster Health Sciences @machealthsci]

Gluten may not actually trigger many irritable bowel syndrome cases.

Premysl Bercik, senior researcher and @MacDeptMed professor, on the study’s findings and the possible role of the nocebo effect.

https://t.co/EI7bAVMwl3

[Bercik-Collins Lab @Bercik_Collins]

Huge congratulations to Dr. Caroline Seiler and the entire team behind this work! 👏 @Farncombe_GI
And a big thank you to all the participants who made this research possible.

#IBS #Gastroenterology #GutBrainAxis

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

That's a wrap on this season of Noon Rounds at the Institute!
Huge thanks to our final speakers Dr. De Palma @Giada_DePalma, Dr. Saman Sadeghi @McMasterEng and Dr. Leontiadis @GriLeont for closing us out strong.
We'll be back on Sept 17th-until then, enjoy the summer! 🌞

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

We're excited to showcase even more trainees next week at a student organized symposium

Farncombe trainees will host visiting PhD students from Wageningen University & Research @WUR #Toxicology group for presentations, posters, and networking!

Registration is open until monday!

[Verdu Lab @VerduLab]

And some more trainees from my group! Xavier Mas-Orea and Janet Szeto presenting different roles of microbiota in IBD! @Farncombe_GI

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

Kelly Kan investigating a fungal probiotic for celiac disease! Cosupervised between @LabCaminero and @VerduLab

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

Great presentations about the roles of microbiota in different digestive disorders: Emma Giordano on how small intestinal microbiota affect development of IBS from @Bercik_Collins and Peter Hall on microbial metabolism of peanut and dairy allergens from @LabCaminero !

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

New trainees expanding on projects in the lab! Brooke Bowerman from the @VerduLab investigating drivers of proteolytic activity, and Jumanah Alawafi from @Bercik_Collins investigating microbial metabolites and abdominal pain in IBD!

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

So many diverse projects to highlight from our trainees recently:
Asif Jamal from Dr. Waliul Khan's lab on the role of 5-MT in intestinal fibrosis in mice and Jacob Sutoski from Dr. Leslie MacNeil on SHC-3 signalling in a C. elegans model

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

Excellent talk by Dr. Dana Philpott @UofT on NOD2 receptor in IBD. The atrium was at capacity!! Thank you for visiting!

[John K. Marshall MD @marshllj]

Congratulations to Dr. Steve Collins, well deserved recipient of the American Gastroenterological Association BCID Mentor of the Year award. A huge honour for an academic giant. @AmerGastroAssn @DDWMeeting @McMasterU @Farncombe_GI @CanGastroAssn @getgutsycanada Wonderful reviews by Elena Verdu, Premsyl Bercik and Bruce Vallance.

[Dr. Kim E. Barrett @DrKimEBarrett]

So great to see my old friend Steve Collins @Farncombe_GI @McMasterU recognized with the distinguished mentor award from the BCID section of the @AmerGastroAssn at #DDW2025

[Farncombe Institute @Farncombe_GI]

Thank you @NicolaJGI from @UofT for joining us today and giving an excellent lecture on the importance of mitochondria in GI disorders and sharing some of your advances in the field of H. Pylori therapy!