Our goal is to elucidate the interactions between host genetics, dietary intake, and gut microbes in order to benefit host health. Our current projects focus on (1) optimizing dietary fiber intake to prevent diabetes and hyperlipidemia and (2) identifying factors underlying pathogenic biofilm formation in the mouth. Our research is interdisciplinary; we combine knowledge from genetics, nutrition, physiology, microbiology, and computational biology. Our findings could help to develop a systems biology approach to precision nutrition to assist in treating metabolic disorders or decreasing disease risk.