there will be an interesting symposium, this summer, in Italy.
http://www.nugo.org
NuGOweek 2009 – Montecatini Terme, Italy 31st August to 3rd September 2009
I am especially interested in the Session 5 – Nutrition, intestinal microbiota and metabolic disease
Wednesday, 2nd September 15.00-17.00. A series of titles has been announced,
these two are particularly interesting, for my research field:
Michiel Kleerebezem (NIZO NL)
Molecular response to lactobacilli in human small intestinal mucosa
Denise Kelly (RINH Aberdeen, UK)
TLR signalling and immune homeostasis

Here is a brief introduction of this subtopic:
The dramatic increase of chronically degenerative diseases in the industrialized world implies a complex interaction of host genetic predispositions and environmental factors. The complex gut-associated microbial ecosystem (gut microbiota), and nutrition-related factors are the most important environmental triggers for the development and modification of lifestyle-related diseases including chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract as well as metabolic pathologies such as obesity-associated insulin resistance Type II diabetes (T2DM). It has been proposed to complement the search for disease susceptibility genes in the human genome with the analysis of the gut “microbiome”, considering the hypothesis that health or disease is being determined by the complex interaction of the host with its gut microbial ecosystem. The gut acts as a highly selective barrier and communication organ between the luminal environment including food and bacterial components and the host responsible for the regulation of metabolic and immune functions. The peaceful and productive coexistence of the host with its intestinal microbiota is tightly controlled at various levels .