Microbiome News and Research

Latest Microbiome News and Research

Study shows the effects of "forever chemicals" on soil structure and function

Soils are impacted globally by several anthropogenic factors, including chemical pollutants. Among those, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of concern due to their high environmental persistence, which are therefore also called "forever chemicals" in public discourse.

1 Jul 2022

Rice lab’s microbial community profiling software effectively identifies bacterial species

Part of a gene is better than none when identifying a species of microbe. But for Rice University computer scientists, part was not nearly enough in their pursuit of a program to identify all the species in a microbiome.

30 Jun 2022

Review sheds light on the emergence and detection of antibiotic resistance in bioaerosols

Bioaerosols, or airborne biological particles containing viruses, fungal spores, bacteria, and pollen, play a key role in public health. Antibiotic resistance (AR), caused by antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), could potentially cause global public health crises owing to horizontal gene transfer between same or similar bacterial bioaerosols.

30 Jun 2022

Investigating the prerequisites for developing RNA-based antibiotics

In the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, mRNA-based vaccines have impressively demonstrated their potential. Using this technology, scientists were able to rapidly develop and bring to market vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that have been extremely effective at protecting millions of people against severe disease progression of COVID-19 or even death.

29 Jun 2022

UMass Amherst assistant professor wins $1.4 million grant to engineer synthetic bacteria for water contaminant removal

Lauren Andrews, University of Massachusetts Amherst assistant professor and the Marvin and Eva Schlanger Faculty Fellow in the department of chemical engineering, has received a three-year, $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation for a collaborative project to engineer synthetic bacteria to neutralize toxic contaminants found in drinking water.

28 Jun 2022

Mother's gut microbes can aid in the healthy development of baby, finds study

Researchers studying mice have found the first evidence of how a mother's gut microbes can help in the development of the placenta, and the healthy growth of the baby.

28 Jun 2022

Prebiotic fiber inulin offers a protective effect against the damage of high-salt diet

New research in rats finds a diet high in the prebiotic fiber inulin offered a protective effect against the damage of a high-salt diet.

27 Jun 2022

UC San Diego scientists report on the molecular impact of life indoors

Within and upon every human being reside countless microorganisms - the microbiota that help shape and direct the lives of their hosts. A similar phenomenon occurs between people, microbes and the homes they share.

24 Jun 2022

Researchers model a complex childhood disease on-a-chip

Millions of children in low- and middle-income nations suffer from environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine that is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old.

23 Jun 2022

Study links post-COVID symptoms with alterations in gut microbiota

A team of scientists has recently highlighted the significance of gut microbiota alterations induced by SARS-CoV-2 in triggering post-COVID-19 symptoms.

23 Jun 2022

New perspectives on C-section and microbiota in newborns

A new study pinpoints key questions and knowledge gaps that must be addressed in order to define microbiome deficits and their link to health outcomes in infants born by Cesarian section, but also to evaluate adequate clinical intervention strategies in this population.

22 Jun 2022

Lack of biodiversity in the gut or elevated metabolites associated with heart failure severity

Some people who experience heart failure have less biodiversity in their gut or have elevated gut metabolites, both of which are associated with more hospital visits and greater risk of death, according to a systematic review of research findings led by Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Study researchers and colleagues.

21 Jun 2022

Gut microbiome acts on the brain to control appetite

Hypothalamic GABAergic neurons recognize microbial muropeptides through the cytosolic receptor NOD2, which regulates food intake and body temperature.

19 Jun 2022

Co-development of three systems linked with baby's respiratory health

A new multidisciplinary study conducted by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center has found that the co-development of three systems, the gut microbiome, respiratory system and immune system, is correlated with a baby's respiratory health, and an infant can have negative respiratory outcomes if the development of one of these systems is disrupted.

17 Jun 2022