The Microbiome Project News and Research

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The human microbiome refers to the entire community of microorganisms that live on or in the human body. More specifically, it refers to all of the genes in these microbes, which include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses.

Virginia Tech scientist uses mathematical model to show how bacteria can control behavior of robots

Forget the Vulcan mind-meld of the Star Trek generation -- as far as mind control techniques go, bacteria is the next frontier. In a paper published July 16 in Scientific Reports, which is part of the Nature Publishing Group, a Virginia Tech scientist used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behavior of an inanimate device like a robot.

17 Jul 2015

UChicago, Argonne National Laboratory and USF to jointly study gut microbiomes of premature infants

Scientists have suspected that this initial disruption is linked to health problems down the road—things like autism, asthma, food allergies and autoimmune diseases—but so far they only have circumstantial evidence based on case studies.

17 Jul 2015

Loss of dietary diversity contributes to rise in obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other diseases

A loss of dietary diversity during the past 50 years could be a contributing factor to the rise in obesity, Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal problems and other diseases, according to a lecture by Mark Heiman, vice president and chief scientific officer at MicroBiome Therapeutics, at IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists in Chicago.

16 Jul 2015

Severe burns dramatically change bacteria populations, study finds

A study published in PLOS ONE has found that burn patients experience dramatic changes in the 100 trillion bacteria inside the gastrointestinal tract.

9 Jul 2015

New collection of papers adds to mounting evidence of gut microbiome’s influential role in health

A newly released collection of papers, the result of the Gut in Focus Symposium Nobel Forum held earlier this year, is adding to the mounting evidence of the influential role the gut microbiome plays in health.

1 Jul 2015

Multiple courses of antibiotics may have significant impact on child development

A new animal study by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers adds to growing evidence that multiple courses of commonly used antibiotics may have a significant impact on children's development.

1 Jul 2015

Spouses & Relatives Of Celiac Disease Patients At Risk For Autoimmune Diseases

Both spouses and first-degree relatives of patients with celiac disease are at increased risk of nonceliac autoimmune disease, according to a study in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. This risk represents a mixture of genetic, environmental and ascertainment bias mechanisms.

1 Jul 2015

Synthetic Biologics announces initiation of SYN-010 Phase 2 clinical trial for treatment of IBS-C

Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a clinical-stage company focused on developing therapeutics to protect the microbiome while targeting pathogen-specific diseases, reported the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial of its proprietary SYN-010 for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

29 Jun 2015

High-fat, high-sugar diet can cause bacterial changes that appear related to loss of 'cognitive flexibility'

A study at Oregon State University indicates that both a high-fat and a high-sugar diet, compared to a normal diet, cause changes in gut bacteria that appear related to a significant loss of "cognitive flexibility," or the power to adapt and adjust to changing situations.

23 Jun 2015

Stress during pregnancy affects babies' brain development

Stress during the first trimester of pregnancy alters the population of microbes living in a mother's vagina. Those changes are passed on to newborns during birth and are associated with differences in their gut microbiome as well as their brain development, according to a new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers.

23 Jun 2015

New DARPA grant supports Wyss Institute project that aims to fight gastrointestinal illness

For decades, American travelers to international destinations have been plagued by acute gastrointestinal illnesses that can arise from travel to other countries. The Center for Disease Control warns that depending on the destination, between 30 to 70 percent of travelers can expect to experience gastrointestinal distress from ingesting foreign or pathogenic bacteria that can be present in poorly sanitized water or food.

17 Jun 2015

A gastroenterologist guide to probiotics

In recent years, scientists have introduced us to a paradigm shift in the microscopic world. We've moved from thinking about all bacteria as bad guys to be wiped out with antibiotics and hand sanitizer to recognizing that some microbes are helpers, good bacteria that live in our GI tract (and all over our bodies) that keep us healthy.

11 Jun 2015

Researchers investigate how ingested nanoparticles may influence metabolic processes

Researchers at Binghamton University believe understanding nano particles' ability to influence our metabolic processing may be integral to mediating metabolic disorders and obesity, both of which are on the rise and have been linked to processed foods.

10 Jun 2015

Study suggests new strategies to stop spread of Staph infections

Staphylococcus aureus -- better known as Staph -- is a common inhabitant of the human nose, and people who carry it are at increased risk for dangerous Staph infections.

7 Jun 2015

Chronic exposure to bacteria may lead to development of Type 2 diabetes

Bacteria and viruses have an obvious role in causing infectious diseases, but microbes have also been identified as the surprising cause of other illnesses, including cervical cancer (Human papilloma virus) and stomach ulcers (H. pylori bacteria).

2 Jun 2015

NYU researchers identify root cause of eye infections among contact lens wearers

Using high-precision genetic tests to differentiate the thousands of bacteria that make up the human microbiome, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center suggest that they have found a possible — and potentially surprising — root cause of the increased frequency of certain eye infections among contact lens wearers.

1 Jun 2015

Human microbiome contains unique fingerprints, shows study

A new study shows that the microbial communities we carry in and on our bodies—known as the human microbiome—have the potential to uniquely identify individuals, much like a fingerprint.

14 May 2015

Southern Indiana to be oasis free from Lyme disease, finds Indiana University researcher

Over nearly 15 years spent studying ticks, Indiana University's Keith Clay has found southern Indiana to be an oasis free from Lyme disease, the condition most associated with these arachnids that are the second most common parasitic disease vector on Earth.

11 May 2015

Fecal transplantation cures C. diff infection, eliminates multi-drug resistant pathogens

A fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) not only cured a case of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection in a 66 year old man; it eliminated populations of multi-drug resistant organisms both in the patient's gastrointestinal tract, and several other body sites.

7 May 2015

Metal oxide nanoparticles induce changes in human colon

Exposure of a model human colon to metal oxide nanoparticles, at levels that could be present in foods, consumer goods, or treated drinking water, led to multiple, measurable differences in the normal microbial community that inhabits the human gut.

5 May 2015

The Microbiome Project News and Research

Further Reading

Virginia Tech scientist uses mathematical model to show how bacteria can control behavior of robots

UChicago, Argonne National Laboratory and USF to jointly study gut microbiomes of premature infants

Loss of dietary diversity contributes to rise in obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other diseases

Severe burns dramatically change bacteria populations, study finds

New collection of papers adds to mounting evidence of gut microbiome’s influential role in health

Multiple courses of antibiotics may have significant impact on child development

Spouses & Relatives Of Celiac Disease Patients At Risk For Autoimmune Diseases

Synthetic Biologics announces initiation of SYN-010 Phase 2 clinical trial for treatment of IBS-C

High-fat, high-sugar diet can cause bacterial changes that appear related to loss of 'cognitive flexibility'

Stress during pregnancy affects babies' brain development

New DARPA grant supports Wyss Institute project that aims to fight gastrointestinal illness

A gastroenterologist guide to probiotics

Researchers investigate how ingested nanoparticles may influence metabolic processes

Study suggests new strategies to stop spread of Staph infections

Chronic exposure to bacteria may lead to development of Type 2 diabetes

NYU researchers identify root cause of eye infections among contact lens wearers

Human microbiome contains unique fingerprints, shows study

Southern Indiana to be oasis free from Lyme disease, finds Indiana University researcher

Fecal transplantation cures C. diff infection, eliminates multi-drug resistant pathogens

Metal oxide nanoparticles induce changes in human colon

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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