Sam Light, PhD

Microbes exhibit variable forms of cellular metabolism, the distinctive properties of which reflect critical features of relevant microbial ecosystems. In the context of the gut microbiota, these metabolic processes generate numerous small molecules that influence host biology in a myriad of ways. Our research seeks to develop a fundamental understanding of the relationship between microbial metabolism and healthy/diseased states of the gut microbiota and, eventually, to exploit these insights in the development of targeted therapies.

University of California
Berkeley
Postdoctoral Fellow
2019

Northwestern University
Postdoctoral Associate
2016

Northwestern University
PhD
2013

Bard College
BA
2008

Gut Bacteria Metabolize Natural and Synthetic Steroid Hormones via the Reductive OsrABC Pathway.
Gut Bacteria Metabolize Natural and Synthetic Steroid Hormones via the Reductive OsrABC Pathway. bioRxiv. 2024 Oct 09.
PMID: 39416003

Regulation of immune responses to food by commensal microbes.
Regulation of immune responses to food by commensal microbes. Immunol Rev. 2024 Sep; 326(1):203-218.
PMID: 39285525

Versatile roles of protein flavinylation in bacterial extracyotosolic electron transfer.
Versatile roles of protein flavinylation in bacterial extracyotosolic electron transfer. mSystems. 2024 Aug 20; 9(8):e0037524.
PMID: 39041811

Bacteria on the foundational kelp in kelp forest ecosystems: Insights from culturing, whole genome sequencing and metabolic assays.
Bacteria on the foundational kelp in kelp forest ecosystems: Insights from culturing, whole genome sequencing and metabolic assays. Environ Microbiol Rep. 2024 Jun; 16(3):e13270.
PMID: 38778582

Versatile roles of protein flavinylation in bacterial extracyotosolic electron transfer.
Versatile roles of protein flavinylation in bacterial extracyotosolic electron transfer. bioRxiv. 2024 Mar 14.
PMID: 38559090

Dietary- and host-derived metabolites are used by diverse gut bacteria for anaerobic respiration.
Dietary- and host-derived metabolites are used by diverse gut bacteria for anaerobic respiration. Nat Microbiol. 2024 Jan; 9(1):55-69.
PMID: 38177297

Bifidobacteria metabolize lactulose to optimize gut metabolites and prevent systemic infection in patients with liver disease.
Bifidobacteria metabolize lactulose to optimize gut metabolites and prevent systemic infection in patients with liver disease. Nat Microbiol. 2023 Nov; 8(11):2033-2049.
PMID: 37845315

Purine-ifying uric acid by gut microbes.
Purine-ifying uric acid by gut microbes. Cell Chem Biol. 2023 07 20; 30(7):706-708.
PMID: 37478828

Distinct Energy-Coupling Factor Transporter Subunits Enable Flavin Acquisition and Extracytosolic Trafficking for Extracellular Electron Transfer in Listeria monocytogenes.
Distinct Energy-Coupling Factor Transporter Subunits Enable Flavin Acquisition and Extracytosolic Trafficking for Extracellular Electron Transfer in Listeria monocytogenes. mBio. 2023 02 28; 14(1):e0308522.
PMID: 36744898

Listeria monocytogenes two component system PieRS regulates secretion chaperones PrsA1 and PrsA2 and enhances bacterial translocation across the intestine.
Listeria monocytogenes two component system PieRS regulates secretion chaperones PrsA1 and PrsA2 and enhances bacterial translocation across the intestine. Mol Microbiol. 2022 09; 118(3):278-293.
PMID: 35943959

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