Feature Channels: Microbiome

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Structural racism has not only psychosocial but also biological consequences.

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Antibiotic resistance, when infection-causing bacteria evolve so they are no longer affected by typical antibiotics, is a global concern.

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The biochemical process by which cyanobacteria acquire nutrients from rocks in Chile’s Atacama Desert has inspired engineers at the University of California, Irvine to think of new ways microbes might help humans build colonies on the moon and Mars.

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A new theory suggests irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the most common gastrointestinal disorder, may be caused by gravity.

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For the study, Riekenberg and colleagues looked at the chemical variations in the isotopes of nitrogen. There are two predominate forms of nitrogen, 'nitrogen-14' and the heavier version, 'nitrogen-15'.

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Northern peatlands contain one third of the Earth’s soil carbon, making them important for carbon storage. In northern peatlands, carbon losses from soil during the winter can exceed carbon storage during the warm growing season, primarily because of the activity of microbes. To better understand how microbes interact in peatland soils during the winter months, this study incubated Arctic peat soils under winter conditions, then analyzed the microbes to understand how the microbes released carbon dioxide.

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An international team of scientists investigating transmission of a deadly drug resistant bacteria that rivals MRSA, has found that whilst the bugs are found in livestock, pets and the wider environment, they are rarely transmitted to humans through this route.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a promising targeted therapy combination for patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a link between the gut microbiome and therapy-related neutropenic fever, a novel therapeutic target for immunotherapy-related colitis, a telementoring model for training providers on cervical cancer prevention in limited-resource areas, a new understanding of the prognostic value of RUNX1 mutations in AML, and insights into the effects of opioid use on the pain sensitivity pathway.

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Millions of antibiotics are prescribed every year. Although they can be incredibly effective at treating infections, antibiotics usually do not solely target the bacteria that is causing infection.

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In a new study in Nature, researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found that Enterococcus – an antibiotic-resistant, opportunistic pathogen – works together with C. difficile, reshaping and enhancing the metabolic environment in the gut so that C. difficile can thrive.