THIS IS A SEED PROPOSAL FOCUSED ON AN UNDEREXPLORED GENUS OF GUT BACTERIA THAT WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY FOUND DISPROPORTIONATELY ASSOCIATED WITH DIETARY OBESITY. IN A SERIES OF OUR PREVIOUS STUDIES, WE OBSERVED THAT A RARELY STUDIED BACTERIUM, "TURICIBACTER", IS ALMOST COMPLETELY DEPLETED BY DIETARY OBESITY BUT NOT GENETIC OBESITY. THE WESTERN-STYLE DIET (WSD) REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE CURRENT RAPID INCREASE OF DIETARY OBESITY. MUSHROOMS POSSESS A UNIQUE DIETARY COMPOSITION RICH WITH MULTIPLE NUTRIENTS THAT ARE COMPLEMENTARY TO WSD. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS SEED GRANT IS TO DETERMINE THE ROLE OF THIS UNDEREXPLORED GENUS IN INTESTINAL DYSFUNCTION ASSOCIATED WITH DIETARY OBESITY, AND TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF MUSHROOM ON RESHAPING GUT MICROBIOME TOWARDS IMPROVING WSD-IMPAIRED GUT HEALTH. THE COMPLETION OF THIS STRENGTHENING SEED PROJECT WILL NOT ONLY PROVIDE THE MECHANISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF THE UNDERSTUDIED GENUS IN DIETARY OBESITY AND GUT HEALTH, BUT ALSO PROVIDE IMPORTANT INSIGHT INTO MUSHROOMS AS A WHOLE-FOOD APPROACH TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF WSD AND GUT HEALTH.