Seidu Adams

I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Michigan State University. My research interests focus on understanding how host biology, environmental exposures, and dietary factors shape the structure and function of microbial communities, and how these interactions influence productivity, health, and disease across the lifespan. I am particularly interested in host–microbiome interactions in animal and human systems, with an emphasis on mechanistic insights, translational relevance, and population-level variability. A central theme of my work is the role of the microbiome in shaping immune development and disease susceptibility. This includes investigating the establishment and maturation of the infant microbiome, the influence of early-life environmental and nutritional exposures, and the long-term consequences for immune programming and metabolic health. In animal systems, I am interested in how dietary composition, management practices, and environmental stressors modulate gut microbial communities and host physiological responses, with implications for animal health, productivity, and disease resilience. I am also interested in the contribution of the microbiome to immune microenvironment dynamics in both infectious and non-communicable diseases. This includes examining microbiome–immune crosstalk in gastrointestinal health, host defense against infectious pathogens, and inflammation-driven diseases. A major translational focus of my work is early-onset colorectal cancer, where I aim to elucidate how microbial, dietary, and host genetic factors interact to influence tumor initiation, progression, and immune modulation, particularly in understudied populations. Methodologically, my research integrates multi-omics approaches, including metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and epigenomic profiling with advanced bioinformatics and statistical modeling. I am especially interested in developing and applying computational frameworks to link microbial function with host phenotypes, immune responses, and environmental exposures. These approaches allow for mechanistic hypothesis generation and the identification of biomarkers relevant to animal health, disease prevention, and precision nutrition. Overall, my long-term research goal is to define actionable pathways of microbiome–host interactions that can inform dietary interventions, management strategies, and therapeutic approaches to improve animal and human health. Scholarly professional with solid background in research, analysis, and academic writing. Adept at synthesizing complex information and contributing to collective knowledge. Strong emphasis on collaboration, adaptability, and achieving impactful results. Proficient in critical thinking, data interpretation, and effective communication.

• Led multi-omics analyses (RNA-seq, metagenomics, metabolomics) on >500 samples, identifying molecular signatures associated with disease progression.
• Discovered population-specific genomic and transcriptomic features in colorectal cancer cohorts from understudied populations.
• Developed and optimized reproducible bioinformatics pipelines for splicing, differential expression, and variant analysis on HPC systems.
• Generated preliminary data supporting successful NIH R21 grant submissions.
• Integrated clinical metadata with omics data to identify biomarkers associated with survival and treatment response.
• Four first-author manuscripts under review at Animal Microbiome, Microbiome, Scientific Reports, Frontier Microbiology, and the British Journal of Cancer on Early microbiome establishment and colonization history in cattle, Maternal Microbiota in Early-Life Establishment and Colonization of the Piglet Gut Microbiota, Metagenome-wide association study in beef cattle to identify functional features of the rumen microbiome that contribute to host phenotypes, and Transcriptomic analysis reveals distinct gene expression profiles in colorectal cancer tissues across different population groups and the upregulation of TACSTD2 in populations of African ancestry.
• Co-authored more than 20 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals (Microbiologyopen, ournal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, Journal of Animal Science, Frontiers in Microbiology, Genetics Selection Evolution, Frontiers in Gastroenterology, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Cancer Research etc ).
• Contributed bioinformatics analyses to multi-institutional collaborative publications.
• Built Slurm-based pipelines for large-scale RNA-seq and alternative splicing analyses on HPC clusters.
• Automated quality control, alignment, quantification, and visualization workflows using Bash, Python, and R.
• Analyzed >50 TB of sequencing data using QIIME2, MEGAHIT, KRAKEN2, METAPHLAN2, metaWRAP, Mothur, BBMap, STAR, HISAT2, DESeq2, rMATS, and custom scripts.
• Implemented advanced data visualization (UpSet, Venn, volcano plots, heatmaps) for publication-ready figures.
• Mentored undergraduate and high-school trainees in wet-lab and computational cancer research.
• Supervised student projects resulting in posters, abstracts, and graduate school applications.
• Designed and delivered training workshops on RNA-seq and microbiome data analysis.
• Co-authored NIH R21 proposal on early-onset colorectal cancer mechanisms.
• Contributed to funded projects through generation of preliminary data and bioinformatics support.
• Assisted with budget planning and experimental design for multi-omics grants.

Institutional

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University (Jan 2025 -Present).

University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Department of Animal Science (Jan 2022 -Dec 2024)

South Dakota State University, Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Science (Dec 2019 - Dec 2021)
University for Development Studies, Department of Biotechnology & Molecular Biology (Sep 2009 - Sep 2014)

Professional Societies
• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• American Society of Animal Science (ASAS)

• Ph.D., Microbiome Variation in Production Phenotypes and the Role of Colonization History in Microbiome Establishment., https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissunl/238/
• MSc, L-Arginine: Glycine Amidinotransferase Expression and Effects of L-Arginine and L-Lysine Supplementation on Porcine Trophectoderm Cells.
• BSc, Mycoremediation of diesel contaminated soil with oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) using maize (Zea mays) as the test crop., https://doi.org/10.47740/57.UDSIJD6i

• Adams, S., Lakamp, A., Aluthge, N., Laible, E., Loy, J. D., Spangler, M. L., & Fernando, S. C., 2025, Investigating the establishment of the rumen and oral bacterial communities in beef cattle and assessing the applicability of using the oral bacterial community composition as a proxy for rumen bacterial community structure in cattle., Frontiers in Microbiology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1667498
• Lakamp, A., Adams, S., Kuehn, L., Snelling, W., Wells, J., Hales, K., ... & Spangler, M. L., 2025, Prediction accuracy for feed intake and body weight gain using host genomic and rumen metagenomic data in beef cattle., Genetics Selection Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-025-01007-8
• Joseph DF, Fu A, Flores RE, Sharma DV, LaComb JF, Clark JM, Li E, Liao Y, Yang J, Yu Q, Adams S, Ogunwobi OO, Theisen B, Steele NG, Chen B and Guillaume A, 2025, The effect of African ancestry and mismatch-repair enzyme deficiency/microsatellite instability-high on colorectal adenocarcinoma immune gene expression., Frontiers in Gastroenterology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fgstr.2025.1638438
• Kidangathazhe, A., Amponsah, T., Maji, A., Adams, S., Chettoor, M., Wang, X., & Scaria, J., 2025, Synthetic vs. nonsynthetic sweeteners: their differential effects on gut microbiome diversity and function., Frontiers in Microbiology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1531131
• Fernando, S. C., Adams, S., Lakamp, A., & Spangler, M. L., 2025, Stochastic and deterministic factors that shape the rumen microbiome., Journal of Dairy Science, https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25797
• Hong, J., Kim, H. S., Adams, S., Scaria, J., Patterson, R., & Woyengo, T. A., 2025, Growth performance and gut health of nursery pigs fed diet containing sodium butyrate or enzymatically hydrolyzed yeast product., Animal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2025.101448
• Wellington, M. O., Adams, S., Lee, J. W., Agyekum, A. K., & Woyengo, T. A., 2025, Dietary inclusion of high-amylose cornstarch increased Lactobacillus and Terrisporobacter and decreased Streptococcus in the cecal digesta of weanling pigs., Journal of Animal Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf008
• Aluthge, N., Adams, S., Davila, C. A., Gocchi Carrasco, N. R., Chiou, K. S., Abadie, R., ... & Fernando, S. C., 2024, Gut microbiota profiling in injection drug users with and without HIV-1 infection in Puerto Rico., Frontiers in Microbiology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1470037
• Hong, J., Jlali, M., Cozannet, P., Preynat, A., Adams, S., Scaria, J., & Woyengo, T. A., 2022, Growth performance, bone mineralization, nutrient digestibility, and fecal microbial composition of multi-enzyme-supplemented low-nutrient diets for growing-finishing pigs., Journal of Animal Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac096
• Hong, J., Ndou, S. P., Adams, S., Scaria, J., & Woyengo, T. A., 2021, Growth performance, visceral organ weights, and gut health of weaned pigs fed diets with different dietary fiber solubility and lipid sources., Journal of Animal Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab292
• Vinithakumari, A. A., Hernandez, B. G., Ghimire, S., Adams, S., Stokes, C., Jepsen, I., ... & Mooyottu, S., 2021, A model screening pipeline for bile acid converting anti-Clostridioides difficile bacteria reveals unique biotherapeutic potential of Peptacetobacter hiranonis., BioRxiv, https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.29.462466
• Hong, J., Ndou, S. P., Adams, S., Scaria, J., & Woyengo, T. A., 2020, Canola meal in nursery pig diets: growth performance and gut health., Journal of Animal Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa338
• Ngalavu, A., Jiang, H., El-Ashram, S., Tellez-Isaias, G., Farouk, M. H., Nyingwa, P. S., Adams S., & Tyasi, T. L., 2020, Effect of dietary fiber sources on in-vitro fermentation and microbiota in monogastrics., Animals, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040674
• Gao, Y., Yang, W., Che, D., Adams, S., & Yang, L., 2020, Advances in the mechanism of high copper diets in restraining pigs growth., Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13213
• Natnael, D. A., Tao, W., Gui-Xin, Q., Yu-Guo, Z., Xue-Feng, Z., Xue, C., ... & Adams, S., 2020, Effects of physically effective fiber on rumen and milk parameters in dairy cows: A review., Indian Journal of Animal Research, https://doi.org/10.18805/ijar.B-1104
• Adams, S., Hongjiao, M., Che, D., Hailong, J., Rui, H., Bao, Z., ... & Guixin, Q., 2020, Effect of dietary copper levels on the growth performance and nutrient utilization in fattening pigs., Indian Journal of Animal Research, https://doi.org/10.18805/ijar.B-956
• Ekua, N. E., Che, D., Adams, S., Qin, G., Zhao, B., & Jiang, H., 2019, Roles of homoarginine in the cardiovascular system., Applied Ecology & Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1705_1056510574
• Che, D., Adams, S., Wei, C., Gui-Xin, Q., Atiba, E. M., & Hailong, J., 2019, Effects of Astragalus membranaceus fiber on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, microbial composition, VFA production, gut pH, and immunity of weaned pigs., Microbiologyopen, https://doi.org/10.1002/mbo3.712
• Che, D., Adams, S., Zhao, B., Qin, G., & Jiang, H., 2019, Effects of dietary L-arginine supplementation from conception to post-weaning in piglets., Current Protein and Peptide Science, https://doi.org/10.2174/1389203720666190125104959
• Che, D., Zhao, B., Fan, Y., Han, R., Zhang, C., Qin, G., Adams, S., & Jiang, H., 2019, Eleutheroside B increase tight junction proteins and anti-inflammatory cytokines expression in intestinal porcine jejunum epithelial cells (IPEC-J2)., Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13087
• Zhao, B., Che, D., Adams, S., Guo, N., Han, R., Zhang, C., ... & Jiang, H., 2019, N-Acetyl-d-galactosamine prevents soya bean agglutinin-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction in intestinal porcine epithelial cells., Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.13091
• Adams, S., Che, D., Hailong, J., Zhao, B., Rui, H., Danquah, K., & Qin, G., 2019, Effects of pulverized oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on diarrhea incidence, growth performance, immunity, and microbial composition in piglets., Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9582
• Adams, S., Kong, X., Che, D., Qin, G., & Jiang, H., 2019, Effects of dietary supplementation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fibre on the blood biochemistry, nitrogen metabolism, and intestinal morphometry in weaning piglets., Applied Ecology & Environmental Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1702_22752295
• Adams, S., Che, D., Qin, G., Farouk, M. H., Hailong, J., & Rui, H., 2019, Novel biosynthesis, metabolism and physiological functions of L-homoarginine., Current Protein and Peptide Science, https://doi.org/10.2174/1389203719666181026170049
• Che, D., Farouk, M. H., El-Razek, I. A., Adams, S., Ekuful, N. E., Qin, G., ... & Yang, L., 2019, How Can Xenosensors Act in Chemical Detoxification Metabolism?., Current Protein and Peptide Science, https://doi.org/10.2174/1389203719666180514144955
• Adams, S., Yang, H., Che, D., Jiang, H., & Qin, G., 2019, Effects of high dietary copper supplementation on the copper accumulation and total copper content in fattening pigs., Applied Ecology & Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1701_14011410
• Adams, S., Xiangjie, K., Hailong, J., Guixin, Q., Sossah, F. L., & Dongsheng, C., 2019, Prebiotic effects of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fiber on cecal bacterial composition, short-chain fatty acids, and diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets., RSC advances, https://doi.org/10.1039/C9RA01251F
• Adams, S., Che, D., Qin, G., Farouk, M. H., Hailong, J., & Rui, H., 2018, Interactions of dietary fibre with nutritional components on gut microbial composition, function and health in monogastrics., Current Protein and Peptide Science, https://doi.org/10.2174/1389203719666180508111843
• Adams, S., Sello, C. T., Qin, G. X., Che, D., & Han, R., 2018, Does dietary fiber affect the levels of nutritional components after feed formulation?., Fibers, https://doi.org/10.3390/fib6020029
• Adams, S., Che, D., Hailong, J., Han, R., Qin, G., & Danquah, K., 2018, Dietary supplementation of pulverised Astragalus membranaceus improved performance, immunity and diarrhoea incidence in weaned piglets., Indian Journal Animal Research, https://doi.org/10.18805/ijar.B-936
• Adams S., Quainoo, A. K., Addae, G., & Stenchly, K., 2015, Mycoremediation of diesel contaminated soil with oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) using maize (Zea mays) as the test crop., UDS International Journal of Development, https://doi.org/10.47740/57.UDSIJD6i

• Adams, S., Weatherall, D., Bonacci, R.E., Udekwu, C.C. and Olorunseun, O.O., 2026. Abstract A006: Long non-coding RNA Plasmacytoma Variant Translocation 1 Alternative Splicing in Prostate Carcinogenesis. Cancer Research, 86(2_Supplement), pp.A006-A006.
• Udekwu, C.C., Nurazizah, S.K., Adams, S., Rachel, B., Olapade-Olaopa, E.O. and Ogunwobi, O.O., 2026. Abstract A065: The oncogenic role of PVT1 exon 9 overexpression in prostate Cancer is mediated by DNA methylation and CDX1. Cancer Research, 86(2_Supplement), pp.A065-A065.
• Bonacci, R.E., Adams, S., Udekwu, C.C., Nurazizah, S.K., Washington, L. and Ogunwobi, O.O., 2026. Abstract B005: RSAD2-CMPK2 signaling mediates PVT1 exon 9 action in an AR-independent manner in PVT1 exon 9 overexpressing neuroendocrine prostate cancers. Cancer Research, 86(2_Supplement), pp.B005-B005.
• Joseph, D. F., Adams, S., Guillaume, A., & Ogunwobi, O., 2025, Abstract A035: Opposing effects of African ancestry and mismatch-repair enzyme deficiency/microsatellite instability-high in colorectal adenocarcinoma., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7755.DISP25-A035
• Adams, S., Amin, A., Bonacci, R., Chinedum, U., Ajagbe, O., Wilson, M., ... & Ogunwobi, O. O., 2025, Abstract A030: Tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 is consistently upregulated in colorectal cancer in people of African ancestry., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7755.DISP25-A030
• Lakamp, D., Adams, S., Wells, J. E., Snelling, W. M., Kuehn, L. A., Fernando, S., & Spangler, M. L., 2025, 82 Predicting feed efficiency traits in beef cattle using genomics and rumen microbiomics., Journal of Animal Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.020
• Adams, S., Spangler, M. L., & Fernando, S., 2024, 226 Oral and rumen microbiome characterization to predict host phenotypes., Journal of Animal Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skae102.029
• O'Reilly, K., Carstens, G. E., Adams, S., Fernando, S. C., Johnson, J. R., & Deeb, N., 2023, 330 Characterizing the Rumen Bacterial Community in Replacement Holstein Heifers with Divergent Genomically Enhanced Residual Feed Intake., Journal of Animal Science, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad281.342
• Adams, S., Aluthge, N. D., Abbas, W., Spangler, M. L., James, W., Hales, K. E., ... & Fernando, S. C., 2023, 1 Microbiomes from Theory to Application.

• Title: Postdoctoral scholar
• Residence Permit: Green Card Holder (Permanent Resident)
• Visa Status: Green Card Holder (Permanent Resident)