Audrey Thomas, 4th Year PhD Candidate at Vanderbilt University - Defeat DD

A dark silhouette of a city skyline set against a cloudy sky. Tall buildings with distinctive shapes are visible, including skyscrapers and what appears to be a tower. The skyline creates a stark contrast with the lighter sky above.

Digital illustration of purple, rod-shaped C. Difficile bacteria with thin, wavy filaments against a dark blue background. The image highlights the bacteria’s texture and surface details.

A “butt vaccine” against C. diff-associated diarrhea

A few years ago, I learned a family secret: my grandma was enduring a years-long battle with diarrhea. Sometimes she would get it for weeks, only to be cured with antibiotics, before getting diarrhea again and continuing the cycle. As a teenager and ...