Meet our Post-doc Lei Geng
Lei Geng is a postdoc in the lab and his work is focused on the effect of microbially produced metabolites on the intestinal inflammation and proliferation. He is interested in understanding the interplay between bacterial metabolites and the intestinal cells and explore the connections between metabolic diseases and colorectal cancer.
Lei’s work is very broad, from in vivo models to cell cultures, but his favorite technique in the lab is to culture intestinal organoids, which he has put a lot of time and energy into developing and optimizing in the lab.
“Even though it has been very challenging to establish the method, organoids are definitely my favorite” – Lei
Lei first got interested in medical research during his veterinary studies in China. He was recruited by a lecturer who showed him the world of research and it was during this time he realized he wanted to continue with a PhD rather than working clinically after his studies. During his PhD he worked on the microbiota of invertebrates which awakened his interest to move into more complex organisms such as mammals and continue his work and expertise in the field of the gut microbiota.
The simplicity of invertebrate models in combination with the closeness to humans of mammalian models is a perfect combination to understand mechanistic pathways between the gut microbiota and the host, according to Lei. His goal is to use his knowledge and expertise to identify metabolites and mechanisms responsible for the development of diseases, such as colorectal cancer.
“In the future, I want to become an independent researcher with my own lab” – Lei
Outside of the lab, Lei is a fantastic chef and gardener. He cooks amazing food and can grow plants in the Swedish weather that no one else in the lab has succeeded with. His favorite plant is the Lotus. He also likes to travel and has visited a lot of European countries since he moved to Sweden.
To promote his own gut health, Lei is eating a diverse diet with different protein sources and vegetables. He also drinks tea made of flowers, leaves, roots and berries – which all contain flavonoids and other healthy metabolites.
Lei’s life lesson as a researcher is:
“Try to do whatever you want to do, do not be afraid of making mistakes!”