Microbiome News and Research

Latest Microbiome News and Research

Breastfeeding helps mother and baby share 'good bacteria'

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Manitoba has found that bacteria are shared and possibly transferred from a mother's milk to her infant's gut, and that breastfeeding directly at the breast best supports this process.

11 Jul 2020

USC scientists may have found a path toward increasing human lifespan

Scientists at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences may have found the beginnings of a path toward increasing human lifespan.

11 Jul 2020

Proximity to natural environments benefits formula-fed babies' gut microbiome

Living close to natural green space can mitigate some of the changes in infant gut bacteria associated with formula feeding, according to new research published in the journal Environment International.

9 Jul 2020

Study links fermented vegetable consumption to low COVID-19 mortality

An intriguing new study by researchers in Europe suggests that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality rates are likely to be lower in countries where diets are rich in fermented vegetables.

8 Jul 2020

Microbiome of first stool may predict infant's likelihood of developing obesity

Meconium—the earliest stool of an infant—is composed of materials ingested during the time the infant spends in the uterus.

8 Jul 2020

Research shows probiotics can help combat anxiety and depression

Previous research has tied mental health issues and developmental disorders to gut health. Now, a team of British scientists has shown that foods that broaden the profile of helpful bacteria in the gut, which are collectively known as probiotics, can help ease anxiety and depression.

7 Jul 2020

Study explores the role of gut Piezo1 in sensing of bacterial RNA

In a new study published in Cell, "RNA sensing by gut Piezo1 is essential for systemic serotonin synthesis", a research team led by Kenta Maruyama M.D., Ph.D. from National Institute for Physiological Sciences explored the role of Piezo1, a mechano-sensing receptor, in the sensing of bacterial RNA.

7 Jul 2020

Study shows how non-alcoholic fatty liver disease causes Alzheimer's-like neuroinflammation

Research from University of South Carolina associate professor Saurabh Chatterjee's laboratory in Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, and led by Ayan Mondal, a postdoctoral researcher from the same lab, has revealed the cause behind the previously established link between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (i.e., NAFLD, recently reclassified as metabolic associated fatty liver disease or MAFLD) and neurological problems.

6 Jul 2020

First microbiome study of Irish Travelers provides important new health insights

Investigators at APC Microbiome Ireland (http://apc.ucc.ie) SFI Research Centre in Cork were stunned by the findings of the first microbiome study of Irish Travellers which challenges the concept of a 'normal' or 'healthy' microbiome and asks: "what is a normal or desirable microbiome in an ethnically diverse society?"

6 Jul 2020

Arrhythmic gut bacteria signatures predict type 2 diabetes risk

The microbial composition of the intestines is complex and varies widely from one individual to another. Many factors such as environmental factors, lifestyle, genetics or illnesses affect the intestinal ecosystem of helpful gut bacteria.

6 Jul 2020

Novel microbiome-based diagnostic tool can identify liver fibrosis, cirrhosis

Chronic liver disease represents a major global public health problem affecting an estimated 844 million people, according to the World Health Organization. It is among the top causes of mortality in Australia, the UK and the United States.

2 Jul 2020

Oral hygiene and severity of COVID-19 – the connection

Their study titled, “Could there be a link between oral hygiene and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections?” was published in the latest issue of the journal British Dental Journal.

30 Jun 2020

Stool microbial and metabolite signatures predict cirrhosis

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting an estimated one-quarter of the global population. It is a progressive condition that, in worst cases, can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death.

30 Jun 2020

Study shows how gut bacteria helps people resist cholera

Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated, and it sickens as many as 4 million people a year. In a new article in the journal Cell, researchers describe how gut bacteria helps people resist the disease.

29 Jun 2020

Raw milk can hold huge amount of antimicrobial-resistant genes

Raw or unpasteurized cows' milk from U.S. retail stores can hold a huge amount of antimicrobial-resistant genes if left at room temperature, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis.

29 Jun 2020

Mathematical model reveals the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection after fecal microbiota transplantation

In their new paper available on the bioRxiv* preprint server, US researchers from the OpenBiome nonprofit organization used a mathematical model to simulate the usefulness of different testing strategies for fecal samples and showed that the probability of releasing a fecal microbiota donation with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is low when several important variables are taken into account.

28 Jun 2020

Synoicum adareanum shows new possibilities for developing melanoma-specific drug

Could the cure for melanoma - the most dangerous type of skin cancer - be a compound derived from a marine invertebrate that lives at the bottom of the ocean?

26 Jun 2020

Irritable bowel disease heightens the risk of dementia

Scientists have long explored the link between the gut and the brain. Now, a new study shows that older adults with chronic inflammation of the digestive tract may develop dementia more than seven years earlier than those who do not have the condition.

26 Jun 2020

Bacteriophage could help decrease mortality of patients with COVID-19

Bacteriophage can reduce bacterial growth in the lungs, limiting fluid build-up. This could decrease the mortality of patients affected by COVID-19, according to the peer-reviewed journal PHAGE: Therapy, Applications, and Research.

24 Jun 2020

Restoring ecosystems for better human health

Billions of people using the Earth's resources and changing or destroying ecosystems are not only creating the global environmental and climate crisis, but also compromising human health and long-term survival of our species, experts warn in an open letter to world leaders.

23 Jun 2020