Up next, the hygiene hypothesis, with special guest lecturer:

Ben Hanelt PhD, Department of Biology. University of New Mexico.

The Hygiene Hypothesis.

Writing assignment:

How does exposure to microorganisms affect chronic inflammation and allergic diseases?  Is exposure to a diverse microbial environment a good or bad thing for humans?

I will post links to the required readings by Thursday afternoon.

Required Reading:

HygieneHypothesis

Very similar extra reading:

99th Dahlem Conference on Infection, Inflammation and Chronic Inflammatory Disorders: Darwinian medicine and the ‘hygiene’ or ‘old friends’ hypothesis 2010. Rook G. Clinical and Experimental Immunology. 160: 70–79.

And here is an optional resource, a Radiolab program on hygiene:

Radiolab hookworm story

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Joe Alcock

Emergency Physician, Educator, Researcher, interested in the microbiome, evolution, and medicine