Microbiomes – News and Features

UCLA scientists have identified specific gut bacteria that play an essential role in the anti-seizure effects of the high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet.

The blood of schizophrenia patients features genetic material from more types of microorganisms than that of people without the debilitating mental illness, research at Oregon State University has found. What’s not known is whether that’s a cause or effect of the severe, chronic condition that strikes about one person in 100.

Scientists have found a connection between bacteria in the gut and antitumor immune responses in the liver. The study showed that bacteria found in the gut of mice affect the liver’s antitumor immune function. The findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms that lead to liver cancer and for therapeutic approaches to treat them.

A microfluidic model of the colon has been built using natural tissue base matrix, which closely mimics the structure and function of the colon.

Advances in sequencing technologies are providing scientists with a powerful way to view microbial communities in unprecedented detail. Metagenomics is a rapidly evolving field that is uncovering a wealth of hidden biodiversity, revolutionizing our understanding of uncharted corners in the living world.

New research has uncovered a surprise link between a common bacterial toxin found in the gut and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It shows that breakdown products from the toxin seem to trigger gut inflammation that is characteristic of IBD.

Researchers have published the first major results from the American Gut Project , a crowdsourced, global citizen science effort. The project is the largest published study to date of the human microbiome — the unique microbial communities that inhabit our bodies.

Gut bacteria able to digest seaweed can out-compete native bacteria in the large intestine of nori-fed mice, according to scientists. Favouring one species over others in the gut could help advance precision health.

Researchers have used machine learning algorithms to spot patterns within communities of bacteria living in the human gut that could predict cholera infection.

Immune cells that are ready to take action against invaders like bacteria have been found in women’s breast milk, researchers say. The presence of this SWAT team of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells, in human breast milk is more evidence of the benefits of breastfeeding.