Metagenomics News and Research

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Tracking antibiotic resistance across environmental systems using advanced metagenomic tools

Antibiotic resistance is often framed as a hospital problem, but a growing body of evidence shows that the environment plays an equally critical role in the global spread of drug resistant bacteria.

27 Jan 2026

Ancient ice and modern pollution combine to spread antibiotic resistance as glaciers melt

Glaciers harbor both ancient and human-derived antibiotic resistance genes, preserved in ice and increasingly mobilized by climate-driven melt. This global review proposes a glacier-to-downstream “continuum” to understand how resistance genes may move through connected freshwater ecosystems.

18 Jan 2026

Gut bacteria patterns differ in autism and siblings and link to social symptoms

This sibling-controlled East Asian study found that autistic individuals, their unaffected siblings, and typically developing controls differ in gut microbiota diversity and composition, with the clearest separation between autism and typical development. Specific taxa, particularly the butyrate-producing genus Anaerostipes, were modestly associated with social communication and internalising symptoms, supporting a gut–behaviour link without implying causality.

15 Dec 2025

Metagenomics reveals overlooked viral risks in treated water

Viruses are everywhere in wastewater treatment plants, quietly interacting with bacteria as sewage is cleaned and reused.

15 Dec 2025

Researchers develop powerful tools for microbiome research advancement

The microscopic organisms that fill our bodies, soils, oceans and atmosphere play essential roles in human health and the planet's ecosystems. Yet even with modern DNA sequencing, figuring out what these microbes are and how they are related to one another remains extremely difficult.

13 Dec 2025

Lubiprostone shows signs of slowing kidney function decline in chronic kidney disease

In adults with stage IIIb–IV chronic kidney disease, the constipation drug lubiprostone did not reduce gut-derived uremic toxins but preserved creatinine-based kidney function over 24 weeks. The benefit was linked to microbiome remodeling, increased polyamine production, and improved mitochondrial function rather than toxin lowering.

8 Dec 2025

Wind-borne mosquitoes carry infectious pathogens for hundreds of miles

High-flying mosquitoes in West Africa are carriers of multiple pathogens, including West Nile virus, highlighting risks in vector-borne disease management.

4 Dec 2025

Latent antimicrobial resistance found to be more widespread across the world

A team of researchers has discovered that latent antimicrobial resistance is more widespread across the world than known resistance.

1 Dec 2025

How the gut microbiome links obesity to colorectal cancer

The gut microbiome serves as both a biomarker and therapeutic target in diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome, and colorectal cancer.

28 Nov 2025

Global study reveals widespread latent antimicrobial resistance in wastewater

A team of researchers has discovered that latent antimicrobial resistance is more widespread across the world than known resistance.

27 Nov 2025

Global Virus Network awards first pandemic preparedness research grants across four continents

The Global Virus Network (GVN) is pleased to announce that, for the first time, it is awarding pandemic preparedness research grants, totaling $160,000, to GVN scientists across four continents.

20 Nov 2025

New AMR portal provides large-scale curated data to advance antimicrobial resistance research

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing health challenge, reducing the effectiveness of life-saving treatments and increasing the risk of complications from routine medical procedures.

18 Nov 2025

New software enables real-time pathogen surveillance in the air and environment

Metagenomics is the study of all organisms present in a particular environment, such as soil, water, or the human body. A key part of metagenomic analysis is understanding what species are present (classification), how much of each there is (abundance), and the function of the microorganisms present.

28 Oct 2025

New technology can track beneficial bacteria after fecal microbiota transplants

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and their collaborators have developed a new technology to track beneficial bacteria after fecal microbiota transplants (FMT).

22 Oct 2025

Western diet fuels IBD by derailing the microbiome - can precision nutrition turn the tide?

This review examines how Western dietary patterns, high in ultra-processed foods, salt, and unhealthy fats, disrupt gut microbiota, impair immune regulation, and contribute to the global rise of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It highlights systems biology and nutritional epidemiology as essential tools to develop personalised dietary strategies and shift IBD care from treatment to prevention.

12 Oct 2025

Specific microbial changes linked to poor growth in children

Malnutrition is responsible for more than half of all deaths in children under the age of five worldwide.

10 Sep 2025

Kids with fluctuating gut microbiome show poorer growth

Malnutrition is a leading cause of death in children under age 5, and nearly 150 million children globally under this age have stunted growth from lack of nutrition.

9 Sep 2025

iconPCR™: Powering the next wave of metagenomics and microbiome discovery

The landscape of metagenomics and microbiome research is evolving at breakneck speed. As sequencing technologies improve and the demand for high-resolution, bias-free microbial data grows, the bottleneck is shifting from sequencing itself to the quality of upstream sample preparation.

From n6 23 Aug 2025

n6™ announces strategic partnership with SeqCenter to deliver unmatched data quality in metagenomics

n6 is proud to announce a strategic partnership with SeqCenter, who is launching a groundbreaking full-length 16S sequencing service at FEMS Micro.