Sabbatical Plans
By Hal Smith

     One of my research interests for the past two years (to the amusement of some of my colleagues) has been on mathematical models of the microbial community occupying the human gut.  Our natural gut microflora is a diverse community of microbes which is remarkably resistent to colonization by invading organisms we may ingest. Obviously, this property is beneficial to us and we know when it fails (e.g. Montezuma's revenge and worse)!  It is important for us to understand why this microbial community is so stable and, ultimately, to gain enough knowledge to exert some control over it. Mathematical modeling can help in this.  I have been fortunate to collaborate with Don Jones, postdoc Mary Ballyk, visiting faculty member Xiao-Qiang Zhao, recent doctoral student Le Dung (now at Georgia Tech.) and current grad student Eric Stemmons on various aspects of this research. Workshops on Microbial Ecology, sponsored by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering and jointly organized by Frank Hoppensteadt and myself each of the last two years, have been especially important for this research by bringing to ASU nationally recognized experts in microbiology.
     I am hoping to continue this research on a sabbatical leave at the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) at the University of Minnesota during the 1999-2000 academic year participating in the program on Reactive Flows and Transport Phenomena. As the IMA selects its visiting members in January, I won't know until the spring. Besides the IMA, the University of Minnesota has an excellent Biotechnology Institute which is an attraction for me. Then, of course, there is the weather.

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