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Dr. Martens is Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Current projects in Dr. Martens’ laboratory are aimed at identifying the molecular function of the bacteria and systems involved in recognizing, binding and degrading complex carbohydrates commonly found in foods or in the gastrointestinal mucosa. Focus areas include the cellular regulation of polysaccharide metabolism in various species of symbiotic gut Bacteroidetes and the role that some glycan degrading abilities play in inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Martens obtained his B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Martens shares with his two sons a fascination for colubrid snakes. Interestingly, they hibernate in the winter and don’t need to be woken up for feeding until mid-March.