Dr Jugder carries out research at the interface between microbiology, innate immunology and metabolism. He has worked extensively in microbiology and biotechnology fields for more than ten years on various microbial enzyme mechanism and metabolism projects. He investigated the central metabolic and respiratory pathways of two novel groups of anaerobic bacteria with regard to their hydrogen metabolism and organohalide respiration, and further developed biotechnological methods to produce and purify the key enzymes for biofuel (hydrogenase) and bioremediation (reductive dehalogenase) applications. His recent research involves investigations of intestinal commensal microbiota or pathogenic (Vibrio cholerae) bacterial metabolism and their interaction with the host intestine using Drosophila melanogaster as a host model. He also has special interests in understanding how enteroendocrine cells control intestinal innate immunity and lipid metabolism in response to microbiota-derived acetate.