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The microbes on your lettuce change with the seasons

Lettuce's microbial communities vary seasonally, potentially impacting gut bacteria and highlighting the role of fresh vegetables in microbiome diversity.

6 Nov 2026

Researchers tested an unexpected addition to vaginal treatment: oxygen

Researchers investigated the effects of topical vaginal oxygen treatment, alone or combined with antimicrobials, on the vaginal microbiota of 22 women with bacterial vaginosis or vaginitis. The combined treatment reduced the relative abundance of strict anaerobes and increased Lactobacillus abundance, but the absence of an antimicrobial-only control group prevented researchers from establishing whether oxygen contributed independently to these changes.

28 Oct 2026

Amyloid fibers help sperm deliver RNA to mouse embryos

Researchers identified RNA-associated amyloid fibrils in human seminal fluid and demonstrated that synthetic PAP fibrils could enter mammalian sperm. In mouse IVF experiments, these fibrils helped sperm deliver RNA to embryos, where the detected reporter-protein signal was at least tenfold higher than without fibril exposure.

27 Oct 2026

Semaglutide changes gut bacteria in rats beyond what eating less explains

Researchers compared semaglutide-treated male and female rats with pair-fed animals receiving the same amount and type of food to distinguish drug-associated microbiome changes from those linked to reduced eating. Semaglutide altered bacterial richness and community composition, with some changes absent from the pair-fed groups and uncertain consequences for health.

26 Oct 2026

Beer and liquor show more oral bacteria links than wine in a large US study

Researchers analyzed beverage intake and oral microbiome data from 5,598 adults across three US cohorts and found that alcohol consumption showed the strongest associations with oral bacterial diversity and composition among the beverages examined. Higher alcohol intake was associated with greater bacterial richness and differences in genera linked to oral health, but the cross-sectional preprint could not establish whether alcohol caused these differences or influenced disease risk.

26 Oct 2026

The vaginal microbiome may relate to more than reproductive health

Researchers analyzed vaginal microbiota, metabolites, and psychological questionnaire scores in 105 young Italian women and found associations between microbial community types and reward responsiveness, motivational drive, and behavioral inhibition. Exploratory models identified statistical links involving vaginal GABA and valine, but the cross-sectional study could not establish whether microbiome changes influence psychological functioning or the reverse.

26 Oct 2026

Semaglutide and teduglutide reduce immune-driven gut injury in mice

Researchers found that gut-derived GLP-1 and GLP-2 signaling helped protect mice against T cell-induced intestinal injury, with GLP-1R primarily regulating inflammation and GLP-2R supporting intestinal repair. Semaglutide and teduglutide, administered separately or together, reduced acute intestinal damage in mice lacking intestinal proglucagon, suggesting potential avenues for investigating treatments for immune-mediated gut injury.

21 Oct 2026

Mosquito saliva study opens new doors for blocking Zika, Dengue, and West Nile infections

Mosquitoes do more than simply transmit the viruses they carry: their saliva may actively help these viruses establish infection in the body from the very moment of the bite.

14 Oct 2026

Coffee, citrus and genetics: What scientists found inside human breast milk

In a bioRxiv preprint, researchers analyzed 458 metabolites in breast milk samples from 349 mothers to investigate how maternal diet, genetics, clinical characteristics, and milk-cell gene expression relate to milk composition. Maternal diet explained the greatest share of metabolite variation among the measured maternal factors, while specific genetic variants and gene-expression patterns were associated with individual metabolites, although the study did not establish effects on infant health.

14 Oct 2026

Gut bacteria may help explain why endometriosis pain varies

A study of 50 women with surgically confirmed endometriosis found that differences in gut bacterial composition were associated with menstrual pain, urinary symptoms, and infertility.

9 Oct 2026

Study finds age and body composition may explain gut bacteria differences between milk drinkers

A study of 265 adults suggests that gut bacteria differences between cow's milk and plant-based drink consumers may reflect individual characteristics rather than milk choice.

8 Oct 2026

Working nights for years is linked to changes in body-clock genes

Chronic night shifts alter circadian gene activity in female healthcare workers.

5 Oct 2026

An AI-identified biomarker can look accurate and still fail its biggest test

The review examines how AI combines molecular, imaging, circulating, cellular, and digital data to identify potential disease biomarkers. Its authors argue that independent validation, biological testing, and evidence of better clinical decisions are needed before those candidates enter patient care.

28 Sep 2026

Advances in chemistry and delivery are taking oligonucleotide medicines beyond rare diseases

A review in Cell Reports Medicine examines how advances in oligonucleotide chemistry and delivery have established ASOs and RNA interference therapies as a class of genetic medicines, with 21 oligonucleotides approved at the time of writing. It also identifies extrahepatic delivery, safety, target validation, individualized treatment, and data quality as priorities as the field expands into common diseases and explores AI-assisted development.

24 Sep 2026

Could a parent’s hospital job shape a child’s nasal microbiome?

A pilot study of 37 families found that children with healthcare-worker parents had lower nasal microbial diversity, with the largest differences among children whose two parents worked in healthcare. Porphyromonas was significantly less abundant, while Neisseria showed a similar non-significant pattern, but the cross-sectional study cannot establish causality or determine whether these microbiota differences affect health.

23 Sep 2026

Regular exercisers show distinct metabolic and immune signatures in blood

Researchers compared blood samples from 40 regular exercisers and 46 sedentary adults and found differences in metabolites, blood chemistry, and immune cell gene activity. The patterns suggested greater fatty acid use and altered immune signaling among exercisers, but the study could not establish that exercise caused these differences.

21 Sep 2026

New mRNA vaccine expands flu protection options for older adults

Every fall, millions of Americans heed the call to get their annual flu shot. Getting vaccinated reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from influenza.

20 Sep 2026

Transplanted human cortical organoids filled most of a mouse cortex. Then they began to connect

Researchers created xenocortical mice by transplanting human cortical organoids into animals genetically depleted of much of their native cortex, allowing the human tissue to occupy most of the available cortical space and form anatomical connections throughout the host nervous system. The grafts developed diverse cortical cell types, including L5-ET and VEN-like neurons, generated organized neural activity, and produced measurable cellular and behavioral responses to hypoxic injury.

18 Sep 2026

Refined starch activates immune pathways after low-carb weight loss

After substantial weight loss on a very-low-carbohydrate diet, participants who switched to a diet rich in refined starch showed greater activation of circulating immune and metabolic pathways than those who continued the low-carbohydrate diet or consumed a high-carbohydrate diet rich in added sugar. Mouse experiments suggested that activation of the complement immune pathway may help explain the inflammatory response associated with starch intake.

10 Sep 2026

Gut infection leaves long-lasting immune ‘memories’ at the brain’s borders in mice

In mice, intestinal infections reshaped dural CD4+ T-cell populations and seeded the brain’s outer meningeal border with antigen-specific memory cells that persisted for months and mounted rapid recall responses to bloodborne antigens. Oral priming was associated with reduced Salmonella spread to the brain and modest cross-protection in an engineered shared-antigen Candida model, although the researchers could not definitively prove that dural CD4+ T cells alone caused the protection.

9 Sep 2026