Our lab uses the simple chordate model, Ciona robusta. There are many really good reasons to use Ciona, one of which is the fact that it has a simple (yet complex...) gut ecosystem that is colonized by distinct bacterial communities. We are interested in how the gut is colonized and, more specifically, characterizing the interface between host immunity and microbiomes. Secreted immune effectors serve critical roles at this interface...
Ciona juveniles are transparent and can be grown on plastic dishes, and this facilitates in vivo observations of gut colonization.