Email

buck.samuel@bcm.edu

Positions

Associate Professor (tenure)

Molecular Virology & Microbiology
Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US

Faculty Member, Steering Committee and Curriculum Chair

Immunology and Microbiology (IY) Graduate Program
Baylor College of Medicine

Faculty Member

Development Disease Models and Therapeutics (DDMT) Program
Baylor College of Medicine

Faculty Member

Genetics and Genomics Program
Baylor College of Medicine

Addresses

BCM-Andersen Bldg. (Lab)

Room: BCM-661E
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-9156

BCM-Andersen Bldg. (Office)

Room: BCM-661E
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-9110

Education

PhD from Washington University in St. Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri United States

Molecular Microbiology and Genomics, Laboratory of Jeffrey Gordon

Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Harvard Medical School / Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts United States

Genetics, Metabolism and Small RNA Biology, Laboratory of Gary Ruvkun

Professional Interests

• Genetics and genomics of host-microbe interactions
• Microbiome programming of host physiology and development
• Invertebrate animal models of dysbiosis / IBD
• Intestinal parasite / helminth microbiome interactions
• Space biology and health

Professional Statement

POSITIONS AVAILABLE**: UNDERGRADUATE/SUMMER STUDENTS, POSTBAC, POSTDOCS.

[ ** Email CV, Cover Letter, References to bucks [at] bcm [dot] edu ] Microbes are exquisite architects of both host physiology and the world around us. Despite their importance, we know very little about how our indigenous microbes (our 'microbiome') are established, managed and maintained. Thus, research in my lab aims to comprehensively identify the molecular pathways that govern microbial influence over host physiology. It has been difficult to dissect these pathways with traditional systems due to their complexity and the lack of high-throughput analysis tools. Thus, to accomplish this goal, we utilize both clinical microbiome studies and have developed a novel microbiome analysis system that uses the free-living nematode C. elegans. Using this high-throughput system, we have characterized the natural C. elegans microbiome and identified several highly conserved host and microbial pathways that govern their interactions. In addition, we translate these candidates into other model systems and clinical populations. Ultimately, we seek to identify conserved genetic circuits that can be used to manage influence of the microbiome on human health.

Websites

Videos

Selected Publications

• Liu Y, Samuel BS, Breen PC, Ruvkun G "Caenorhabditis elegans pathways that surveil and defend mitochondria." Nature. 2014; Pubmed PMID: 24695221
• Samuel BS, Rowedder H, Braendle C, Felix M-A*, Ruvkun G* "Caenorhabditis elegans responses to bacteria from its natural habitats." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Jul 5; Pubmed PMID: 27317746
• Zhang F#, Berg M#, Dierking K, Félix MA, Shapira M*, Samuel BS*, Schulenburg H* "Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model for Microbiome Research." Frontiers Microbiol. 2017;
• Gregory KE*, Samuel BS*, Houghteling P, Shan G, Ausubel FM, Sadreyev RI, Walker WA "Influence of maternal breast milk ingestion on acquisition of the intestinal microbiome in preterm infants." Microbiome. 2016; Pubmed PMID: 28034306

Memberships

Genetics Society of America

American Society for Microbiology

Funding

Microbiome programming of host physiology - #DP2 DK116645

Grant funding from NIH New Innovator Award

Microbes establish physiologic programs at birth and different microbes during these critical periods influences likelihood of leading a life of health or disease. Despite its importance to all our health, we know very little about the nature of these microbial programming events. We propose to leverage a simple animal system and new innovative methods to define the genetic landscape and response networks of microbial programming at the organismal level in order to identify targets for tailored interventions to support a lifelong healthy balance with our microbes.

Impact of the gut microbiome on the integrative physiology of genetically diverse invertebrates

(02/01/2022 - 01/30/2025) Grant funding from NASA/TIDES

This work pioneers the use of genetically diverse hosts, newly built microbiomes, and innovative phenotyping tools that should break new ground in understanding host-microbiome interactions in space-flight. A rich repository of transcriptomic/sequencing data of microbiomes, invertebrates; tissue-level data of gut/muscle/nerve; and whole-animal functional imagery data will be available to the scientific community to generate new hypotheses on individual specific microbiome-driven response in space-flight. This flight project lays the ground work for studying the importance of the microbiome on the Moon enabling U.S. to lead in deep space exploration.

High-throughput functional analyses of the genetic drivers of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

(11/01/2024 Grant funding from NIH NIDDK

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic inflammation, leading to the erosion of essential intestinal functions. The risk of developing IBD, including related diseases like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, involves a complex interplay of over 250 genetic and environmental factors. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and pathogen proliferation often worsen the disease pathophysiology. While some common genetic risk factors, especially those related to the immune system, are well understood, the functional contributions of most risk alleles remain unclear. Moreover, the majority of known genetic risk factors have been identified in European ancestry populations, which may not translate to more diverse populations. Our long-term goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the genetic risk factors contributing to IBD development. We hypothesize that genetic alterations in intestinal gene function create conditions for persistent dysbiosis and inflammation, driving IBD. To achieve this, we have established a robust cross- organismal platform for high-throughput functional profiling of IBD candidate genes, advancing our understanding of the disease's mechanisms. We aim to address our hypothesis through two specific aims: 1) conducting high-throughput screening and phenotypic characterization of IBD risk genes in C. elegans, a nematode microbiome model; and 2) validating IBD risk alleles in human intestinal organoids (HIOs). Importantly, our research will encompass and integrate risk alleles from diverse populations, providing a more comprehensive assessment of IBD risk. This study is significant because it delves into the functional profiling of IBD risk genes at the organismal level, a less- explored area. Further, it extends its focus to diverse multi-ancestry cohorts, filling a critical gap in understanding of the disease. The platform developed also has the potential to be used in studying other microbiome-mediated diseases. Ultimately, this work can enhance our understanding of the genetic landscapes of IBD, offering both broad functional testing and specific mechanistic insights, which are vital for the diagnosis and treatment of this prevalent digestive disease.