Oct 1, 2025
Dr. Robert Hettich is a pioneer in bioanalytical mass
spectrometry. In this episode of AMSEcast, he describes how
microbiomes form, vary across the body, and influence digestion,
immunity, and overall health. Dr. Hettich also explains
metaproteomics, the study of microbial proteins, to reveal how
microbes function beyond their genes as well as their applications
from human health to environmental cleanup and bioenergy. Inspired
by his daughter’s experience with Crohn’s, Robert Hettich is
especially focused on microbiomes’ links to inflammatory and
neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Guest Bio
Dr. Robert Hettich is a corporate fellow at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and leader of its Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Group
in the Biosciences Division. He also serves as joint faculty in the
Microbiology Department at the University of Tennessee. Earning his
BS from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and a PhD
in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University, Dr. Hettich joined
ORNL in 1986 and has since become a pioneer in microbiome and mass
spectrometry research. Widely published and honored with multiple
awards, he is recognized for advancing our understanding of complex
microbial systems and their impact on health.
Show Highlights
- (1:45) What is a microbe?
- (2:57) What is a microbiome?
- (3:31) When microbiomes begin to develop in the body
- (5:42) How microbiomes differ throughout the body
- (7:51) The role of probiotics and prebiotics in microbiomes
- (10:03) The effect of anti-microbial medication on microbiomes
- (12:05) What metaproteomics is and what tools are required for it
- (16:03) The role of microbiomes in development or materials, fuel, and other resources
- (18:42) What Dr. Robert Hettich is most concerned about for his research
Links Referenced
- Dr. Robert Hettich’s email address: hettichrl@ornl.gov