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Jeffrey I. Gordon (born October 4, 1947) is a biologist and the Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor and Director of The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology at
Washington University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis, located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine shares a ca ...
. He is internationally known for his research on gastrointestinal development and for founding the field of human microbiome research. His research has revolutionized our understanding of the human microbiome and its roles in health and disease, particularly with regard to nutrition, digestion and metabolism. Gordon’s research has significantly advanced scientific understanding of the human gut microbiome as a microbial “organ” that affects human health and disease beyond gastrointestinal health. Much of his work has focused on addressing the global health challenge of childhood undernutrition. Central questions that Gordon and his lab are pursuing include how our gut microbial communities influence human health, what interventions will repair microbial communities for an individual or a population to optimize healthy development, and how to create local infrastructures to deliver treatment in affordable, culturally acceptable, appetizing foods. He and his team identified underdeveloped gut microbiota as a contributing cause of childhood malnutrition and found that therapeutic food aimed at repairing the gut microbiome is superior to a widely used standard therapeutic food to treat childhood malnutrition. Unlike standard therapeutic foods, these microbiome-directed foods improve long-term effects of malnutrition, including problems with metabolism, bone growth, immune function and brain development. Gordon has been elected to the
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
(2001), the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
(2004), the
National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...
(2008), and the
American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
(2014).


Education and career

Gordon received his bachelor's degree in Biology at 1969 at
Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...
in Ohio. Over the next four years, Gordon received his medical training at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
and graduated with honors in 1973. After two years as intern and junior assistant resident in Medicine at Barnes Hospital (now
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Barnes-Jewish Hospital is the largest hospital in the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in the Central West End, St. Louis, Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, it is the adult teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicin ...
), St. Louis, Gordon joined the Laboratory of Biochemistry at the
National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...
as a Research Associate in 1975. He returned to Barnes Hospital in 1978 to become Senior Assistant Resident and then Chief Medical Resident at Washington University Medical Service. In 1981 he completed a fellowship in medicine (Gastroenterology) at
Washington University School of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine) is the medical school of Washington University in St. Louis, located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1891, the School of Medicine shares a ca ...
. In the following years, Gordon rose quickly through the academic ranks at Washington University: Asst. Prof. (1981–1984); Assoc. Prof. (1985–1987); Prof. (1987–1991) of Medicine and Biological Chemistry. In 1991, he became head of the Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology (1991–2004). Gordon is currently the Director of The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology (2004–present) at Washington University in St. Louis.


Early scientific research

Gordon's early career focused on the development of cell lineages within the
gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the Digestion, digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascula ...
. His laboratory initially combined the use of transgenic mouse models and biochemical approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of gut epithelial development along the duodenal-colonic and crypt-villus axes. Early studies also provided important insight into biochemical properties of lipid handling and transport in the digestive system. Gordon played a pivotal role in the study of protein N-
myristoylation Myristoylation is a lipidation modification where a myristoyl group, derived from myristic acid, is covalently attached by an amide bond to the alpha-amino group of an ''N''-terminal glycine residue. Myristic acid is a 14-carbon saturated f ...
, a co-translational modification by which a
myristoyl group Myristic acid (IUPAC name: tetradecanoic acid) is a common saturated fatty acid with the molecular formula . Its salts and esters are commonly referred to as myristates or tetradecanoates. The name of the acyl group derived from myristic acid is m ...
is covalently attached to an N-terminal glycine residue of a nascent polypeptide. Gordon and his colleagues were instrumental in characterizing the mechanism by which N-myristoyltransferase (the enzyme that catalyzes the myristoylation reaction) selects its substrates and its catalytic mechanism.


Present research

Gordon and his laboratory are currently focused on understanding the mutualistic interactions that occur between humans and the 10 trillion commensal microbes that colonize each person's gastrointestinal tract. To tease apart the complex relationships that exist within this gut microbiota, Dr. Gordon's research program employs germ-free and gnotobiotic mice as model hosts, which may be colonized with defined, simplified microbial communities. These model intestinal microbiotas are more amenable to well-controlled experimentation. Gordon has become an international pioneer in the study of gut microbial ecology and evolution, using innovative methods to interpret
metagenomic Metagenomics is the study of all genetic material from all organisms in a particular environment, providing insights into their composition, diversity, and functional potential. Metagenomics has allowed researchers to profile the microbial co ...
and gut microbial genomic sequencing data. In recent studies, Dr. Gordon's lab has established that the
gut microbiota Gut microbiota, gut microbiome, or gut flora are the microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, that live in the digestive tracts of animals. The gastrointestinal metagenome is the aggregate of all the genomes of the g ...
plays a role in host fat storage and obesity. Gordon and co-workers have used DNA
pyrosequencing Pyrosequencing is a method of DNA sequencing (determining the order of nucleotides in DNA) based on the "sequencing by synthesis" principle, in which the sequencing is performed by detecting the nucleotide incorporated by a DNA polymerase. Pyrosequ ...
technology to perform metagenomics on the intestinal contents of obese mice, demonstrating that the gut microbiota of fat mice possess an enhanced capacity for aiding the host in harvesting energy from the diet. A study of the microbial ecology of obese human subjects on two different weight loss diets indicate that the same principles may be operating in humans. His group has applied the sequencing of bacterial and archaeal genomes to describe the microbial functional genomic and metabolomic underpinnings of microbial adaptation to the gastrointestinal habitat. This approach has been extended to describe the role of the adaptive immune system in maintaining the host-microbial relationship. Gordon is the lead author of an influential 2005
National Human Genome Research Institute The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is an institute of the National Institutes of Health, located in Bethesda, Maryland. NHGRI began as the Office of Human Genome Research in The Office of the Director in 1988. This Office transi ...
white-paper entitled “Extending Our View of Self: the Human Gut Microbiome Initiative (HGMI)”. In 2007 the
Human Microbiome Project The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) was a United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) research initiative to improve understanding of the microbiota involved in human health and disease. Launched in 2007, the first phase (HMP1) focused on i ...
was listed on the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research as one of the New Pathways to Discovery.


Selected honors

Major awards and honors received by Gordon include: * 2001 Elected,
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
** 2010-2013 Chair, Medical Physiology and Metabolism Section,
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
* 2004 Elected,
American Academy of Arts & Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other F ...
* 2008 Elected,
National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...
* 2013
Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology Selman may refer to: People with the surname * Alan Selman (1941–2021), American mathematician * Bart Selman, American computer scientist * Bill Selman (born 1939), American ice hockey coach * Courtenay Selman (born 1945), Barbadian cricketer ...
,
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
* 2013 Robert Koch Award, Koch Foundation * 2014 Passano Award, Passano Foundation * 2014 Elected,
American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
* 2014 Dickson Prize in Medicine, University of Pittsburgh * 2015
King Faisal International Prize The King Faisal Prize (, formerly King Faisal International Prize), is an annual award sponsored by King Faisal Foundation presented to "dedicated men and women whose contributions make a positive difference". The foundation awards prizes in fiv ...
in Medicine, King Faisal Foundation * 2015
Keio Medical Science Prize The Keio Medical Science Prize ( Japanese: 慶應医学賞) is a Japanese prize in medical sciences. Introduction The prize is awarded to scientists who made significant contributions to the field of medical sciences or life sciences. And these c ...
, Keio University * 2017
Massry Prize The Massry Prize was established in 1996, and is administered by the Meira and Shaul G. Massry Foundation. The Prize, of $40,000 and the Massry Lectureship, is bestowed upon scientists who have made substantial recent contributions in the biomedi ...
, Meira and Shaul G. Massry Foundation * 2017 Sanofi-Institut Pasteur International Award for Biomedical Research,
Sanofi Sanofi S.A. is a French Multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. The corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 200 ...
;
Institut Pasteur The Pasteur Institute (, ) is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who invented pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax and rabies. T ...
* 2017
Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize The Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for Biology or Biochemistry is an annual prize awarded by Columbia University to a researcher or group of researchers who have made an outstanding contribution in basic research in the fields of biology or biochemist ...
, Columbia University * 2018
Copley Medal The Copley Medal is the most prestigious award of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, conferred "for sustained, outstanding achievements in any field of science". The award alternates between the physical sciences or mathematics and the bio ...
, Royal Society * 2018
BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards () are an international award programme recognizing significant contributions in the areas of scientific research and cultural creation. The categories that make up the Frontiers of Knowledge Awards ...
in Biology and Biomedicine, BBVA Foundation * 2021
Balzan Prize The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organizations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the b ...
for Microbiome in Health and Disease, International Balzan Foundation * 2021 George M. Kober Medal, Association of American Physicians * 2022 David and Beatrix Hamburg Award for Advances in Biomedical Research and Clinical Medicine,
National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...
* 2022 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, Johnson & Johnson * 2023
Princess of Asturias Award The Princess of Asturias Awards (, ), formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014 (), are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Princess of Asturias Foundation (previously the Prince of Asturias Foundation) to individuals ...
for Technical and Scientific Research, The Princess of Asturias Foundation * 2023
Albany Medical Center Prize The Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research is the United States' second highest value prize in medicine and biomedical research, awarded by the Albany Medical Center. Among prizes for medicine worldwide, the Albany Medical ...
in Medicine and Biomedical Research, Albany Med Health System * 2024 Mechthild Esser
Nemmers Prize in Medical Science The Mechthild Esser Nemmers Prize in Medical Science, established in 2016, is awarded every other year by the Feinberg School of Medicine. The recipient is "a physician-scientist whose body of research exhibits outstanding achievement in their disc ...
, Northwestern University * 2024
Nierenberg Prize The Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest is given annually by Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It was created through a gift of the family to honor the memory of William Nierenberg. The prize includes a bronze medal and $25,000 ...
for Science in the Public Interest, Scripps Institution of Oceanography - University of California, San Diego


References


External links


The Gordon Lab website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Jeffrey I. 21st-century American biologists 1947 births Living people Oberlin College alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Place of birth missing (living people) Members of the National Academy of Medicine Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Members of the American Philosophical Society University of Chicago alumni Washington University in St. Louis faculty Washington University School of Medicine faculty 20th-century American biologists