Dr. Rayboud's laboratory group focuses on the physiology and cellular signaling of the intestinal epithelium. The effects of ingested nutrients as well as the effects of molecules produced by intestinal microbiota and their binding to the intestinal wall are of particular interest. Animal models are used to explore the neural control of the gastrointestinal tract, the afferent innervation of the intestine, the role of nutrient transporters in epithelial and endocrine cells in sensory transduction in the intestine, the expression of neuropeptides and neuropeptide receptors on visceral afferents, and the alteration in visceral afferent activity in functional bowel disease and obesity.