Welcome to the Fredricks Lab  The human body hosts a collection
of complex microbial ecosystems where microbes frequently
outnumber human cells, and hundreds to thousands of bacterial
species may be represented. The Fredricks Laboratory based at
the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center studies the human
indigenous microbiota to determine how changes in microbial
communities impact human health. We use tools in molecular
biology such as broad range 16S rRNA gene PCR to describe
microbial diversity in human body sites with a focus on the
vaginal microbiota and the common condition bacterial vaginosis
(BV). BV is a poorly understood condition associated with
preterm birth, pelvic inflammatory disease, HIV acquisition, and
other STDs.  Research Questions:    1. What is the composition
(census) of the human microbiota?   2. How stable, or dynamic,
is the microbiota, and what are the factors that influence
stability?   3. How do microbes interact with human cells at
epithelial surfaces to promote health or contri