Skip to main content
  • UC Berkeley
  • College of Letters & Science
Berkeley University of California

URAP

Project Descriptions
Spring 2026

URAP Home Project Listings Application Contact

Project Search Options

Enter one or more search options below then click the Search button.

  
    Category Descriptions
  
  
  
  
  
Showing 2 projects out of 2 found. On page 1 out of 1.
Click on a project's title to view more details.
The role of the gut microbiome in host adaptation and evolution

Michael Shapira - Professor, Integrative Biology

Status: Current Term Now Closed     Weekly Hours: 12 or more hours     Location: On Campus

Most, if not all, animals harbor extensive microbial communities, which contribute to host health and fitness. In humans, the gut microbiome holds ~100 times more genes than the host genome, encoding diverse functions. This is a theme in most animals, and raises the question of what is the significance of...

 Biological & Health Sciences   Engineering, Design & Technologies

The role of myo-inositol and the microbiome in hummingbird gut metabolism

Michael Shapira - Professor, Integrative Biology

Status: Current Term Now Closed     Weekly Hours: 9-11 hrs     Location: On Campus

Nectar-feeding birds rely on extremely high metabolic rates and often accumulate fat as an adaptive strategy for migration, fasting, or periods of limited food availability. Recent work across animals suggests that gut microbes play an important role in regulating host metabolism and fat accumulation. In particular, the dietary compound...

 Biological & Health Sciences   Engineering, Design & Technologies

Office of Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies, Undergraduate Division
College of Letters & Science, University of California, Berkeley
Accessibility   Nondiscrimination   Privacy Policy