Feature Channels: Microbiome

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Released: 19-Sep-2017 6:05 AM EDT
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Working Group Concludes There Is Significant Evidence to Implicate the Role of Microbiota in Blood Pressure Regulation
Strategic Communications, LLC

A recent report from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Working Group on the role of microbiota in blood pressure regulation underscored “there is a critical need to discover novel and innovative ways to address the blood pressure control issue.”

Released: 11-Sep-2017 3:30 PM EDT
Researchers Find That Body Clock, Gut Microbiota Work Together to Pack on the Pounds
UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern researchers have uncovered new clues about how gut bacteria and the body’s circadian clock work together to promote body fat accumulation.

11-Sep-2017 11:00 AM EDT
The Evolutionary Origin of the Gut
University of Vienna

How did the gut, the skin and musculature evolve? This question concerns scientists for more than a century. Through the investigation of the embryonic development of sea anemones, a very old animal lineage, researchers from the University of Vienna have now come to conclusions which challenge the 150 year-old hypothesis of the homology (common evolutionary origin) of the germ layers that form all later organs and tissues.

Released: 30-Aug-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Protecting the Guardians
Harvard Medical School

A study led by scientists at Harvard Medical School reveals that a gene that has a protective influence against diabetes is powerfully shaped by the trillions of intestinal bacteria collectively known as the gut microbiota.

25-Aug-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Partnering with Soil Microbes Essential to Plant and Animal
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Soils can be extraordinarily biodiverse and differ widely in the kinds of microbial communities that inhabit them. Without a vibrant soil microbial community, humans would not be able to depend on soil for food and other ecosystem services. The “Life Underground: Who, Where, Why?” lecture planned at the Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL, will address this important topic.

Released: 25-Aug-2017 3:45 PM EDT
Microbes Compete for Nutrients, Affect Metabolism, Development in Mice
University of Wisconsin–Madison

If our microbiome overindulges, we might not have access to the nutrients we need. That’s the suggestion from new research conducted by University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Federico Rey’s group that shows mice that harbor high levels of microbes that eat choline are deprived of this essential nutrient.

   
21-Aug-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Help UC San Diego Scientists Study Link Between Body Bacteria and Autoimmune Diseases
UC San Diego Health

The public's help is being enlisted in the Microbiome Immunity Project, what's thought to be the biggest study to date of the human microbiome — the communities of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on the human body, where they influence our health.

8-Aug-2017 8:00 AM EDT
No Guts No Glory: Harvesting the Microbiome of Athletes
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Elite athletes work hard to excel in sports, but they may also get a natural edge from the bacteria that inhabit their digestive tracts. Scientists have now tapped into the microbiome of exceptional runners and rowers, and have identified particular bacteria that may aid athletic performance. The goal is to develop probiotic supplements that may help athletes — and even amateur fitness enthusiasts — recover from a tough workout or more efficiently convert nutrients to energy.

Released: 18-Aug-2017 11:05 AM EDT
GIST Tumors Linked to NF1 Mutations, Genetic Testing Needed
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, with colleagues from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Fox Chase Cancer Center, have determined that a specific region of the small bowel, called the duodenal-jejunal flexure or DJF, shows a high frequency of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with mutations of the NF1 gene.

15-Aug-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Drug-Delivering Micromotors Treat Their First Bacterial Infection in the Stomach
University of California San Diego

Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have demonstrated for the first time using micromotors to treat a bacterial infection in the stomach. These tiny vehicles, each about half the width of a human hair, swim rapidly throughout the stomach while neutralizing gastric acid and then release their cargo of antibiotics at the desired pH.

   
Released: 14-Aug-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Probiotics Help Poplar Trees Clean Up Superfund Sites
University of Washington

Biologists conducted the first large-scale experiment on a Superfund site using poplar trees fortified with a probiotic — or natural microbe — to clean up groundwater contaminated with trichloroethylene, or TCE.

Released: 9-Aug-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Defining Standards for Genomes From Uncultivated Microorganisms
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

In Nature Biotechnology, an international team led by DOE Joint Genome Institute researchers has developed standards for the minimum metadata to be supplied with single amplified genomes (SAGs) and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) submitted to public databases.

Released: 9-Aug-2017 11:05 AM EDT
2017 Massry Prize Honors Microbiome Research Pioneers
UC San Diego Health

Microbiome researchers Rob Knight, PhD, University of California San Diego, Jeffrey Gordon, MD, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Norman Pace, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, will share this year’s Massry Prize, splitting the $200,000 honorarium. These researchers lead a field that works to produce a detailed understanding of microbiomes andand methods for manipulating them for the benefit of human and environmental health.

4-Aug-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Human Gut Microbe May Lead to Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis
Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic researchers, along with colleagues at the University of Iowa, report that a human gut microbe discovered at Mayo Clinic may help treat autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. The findings appear in Cell Reports.

Released: 7-Aug-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Case Western Reserve University Researchers Develop Therapeutic to Enhance Tissue Repair and Regeneration
Case Western Reserve University

Rodeo Therapeutics, a new drug development company created by two highly regarded Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers, has raised $5.9 million to develop small-molecule drugs that promote the body’s repair of diseased or damaged tissues.

Released: 7-Aug-2017 9:45 AM EDT
Researchers Get $1.4 Million to Study Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Treat Intestinal Inflammation
Georgia State University

Researchers in Georgia State University’s Institute for Biomedical Sciences have received a four-year, $1.4 million federal grant to study novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of intestinal inflammation.

   
2-Aug-2017 11:30 AM EDT
Natural Compound Coupled with Specific Gut Microbes May Prevent Severe Flu
Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a particular gut microbe can prevent severe flu infections in mice, likely by breaking down naturally occurring compounds — called flavonoids — commonly found in foods such as black tea, red wine and blueberries.

2-Aug-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Protein-Rich Diet May Help Soothe Inflamed Gut
Washington University in St. Louis

The combination of a bacterium that normally lives in the gut and a protein-rich diet promotes a more tolerant, less inflammatory gut immune system, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings, in mice, suggest a way to tilt the gut immune system away from inflammation, potentially spelling relief for people living with inflammatory bowel disease.

26-Jul-2017 1:00 PM EDT
Cancer-Death Button Gets Jammed by Gut Bacterium
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Researchers at Michigan Medicine and in China showed that a type of bacterium is associated with the recurrence of colorectal cancer and poor outcomes. They found that Fusobacterium nucleatum in the gut can stop chemotherapy from causing a type of cancer cell death called apoptosis.

Released: 21-Jul-2017 10:05 AM EDT
In Saliva, Clues to a ‘Ghost’ Species of Ancient Human
University at Buffalo

In saliva, scientists have found hints that a “ghost” species of archaic humans may have contributed genetic material to ancestors of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa today. The research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that sexual rendezvous between different archaic human species may not have been unusual.

Released: 19-Jul-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Grant Supports Deep Dive Into Microbes
University of Delaware

University of Delaware researchers have been awarded a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation that will be used to study how microbe genes get toggled off or on. This research is a major driver of precision medicine and its personalized treatments for diseases in humans today.

Released: 17-Jul-2017 3:05 PM EDT
In Baby's Dirty Diapers, the Clues to Baby's Brain Development
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Can the kinds of microbes colonizing the gut at age 1 predict later cognitive development? Findings from the UNC School of Medicine shed light on the surprising role of bacteria in how our brains develop during the first years of life.

   
10-Jul-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Could Calcium Hold the Key to Fighting a Dangerous Hospital Infection?
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

It lurks in hospitals and nursing homes, preying upon patients already weak from disease or advanced age. It kills nearly 30,000 Americans a year, and sickens half a million more. But new research shows that Clostridium difficile bacteria can’t do this without enough of a humble nutrient: calcium. That new knowledge may lead to better treatments.

6-Jul-2017 12:00 PM EDT
Eye Microbiome Trains Immune Cells to Fend Off Pathogens in Mice
NIH, National Eye Institute (NEI)

Bugs in your eyes may be a good thing. Resident microbes living on the eye are essential for immune responses that protect the eye from infection, new research shows. The study, which appears in the journal Immunity on July 11, demonstrates the existence of a resident ocular microbiome that trains the developing immune system to fend off pathogens. The research was conducted at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

   
10-Jul-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Antibiotics Taken Late in Pregnancy Can Increase Risk for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Offspring
University of Chicago Medical Center

A study by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine shows that when mice that are genetically susceptible to developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were given antibiotics during late pregnancy and the early nursing period, their offspring were more likely to develop an inflammatory condition of the colon that resembles human IBD.

29-Jun-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Popular Heartburn Drugs Linked to Higher Death Risk
Washington University in St. Louis

Millions of U.S. residents take proton pump inhibitors which are widely prescribed to treat heartburn, ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems. Now, a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that long-term use of the popular drugs carries an increased risk of death.

30-Jun-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Cases of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection Are Soaring
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found evidence that the most difficult C. difficile cases, known as multiple recurring C. difficile infections (mrCDI), are rapidly becoming more common.

26-Jun-2017 2:20 PM EDT
Subtle Molecular Changes Along the Upper Digestive Tract Could Guide Cancer Therapy
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University

Based on a new molecular study of tissues biopsied from various parts of the upper digestive tract, researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified significant, if subtle, differences in gene mutations and other factors that could help in developing more tailored treatment options for cancer patients.

27-Jun-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Research Suggests Association Between Gut Bacteria and Emotion
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Researchers have identified gut microbiota that interact with brain regions associated with mood and behavior. This may be the first time that behavioral and neurobiological differences associated with microbial composition in healthy humans have been identified.

Released: 29-Jun-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Penn Gastroenterologists Receive Funding to Continue Research Partnership on Barrett's Esophagus
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A research group in the division of Gastroenterology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has received a National Cancer Institute grant to extend a Barrett's Esophagus translational research network with Columbia University and the Mayo Clinic until 2022.

Released: 28-Jun-2017 10:30 AM EDT
NUS Researchers Create Novel Probiotic Beer That Boosts Immunity and Improves Gut Health
National University of Singapore (NUS)

Beer lovers may soon have a gut-friendly drink to raise a toast to, thanks to the creation of a novel probiotic sour beer by a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore.

Released: 26-Jun-2017 5:00 PM EDT
Ecologist: Tracking Bacterial Movement Between Humans, Animals Key to Understanding Antibiotic Resistance
Northern Arizona University

Benjamin Koch and his co-authors treated bacteria the way they would any ecosystem, using genomic "tags" to track bacterial transmission.

21-Jun-2017 3:55 PM EDT
Microbe Mystery Solved: What Happened to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Plume
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 is one of the most studied spills in history, yet scientists haven’t agreed on the role of microbes in eating up the oil. Now a research team at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has identified all of the principal oil-degrading bacteria as well as their mechanisms for chewing up the many different components that make up the released crude oil.

Released: 26-Jun-2017 9:00 AM EDT
Microbes From Ships May Help Distinguish One Port From Another
Michigan Technological University

Much the way every person has a unique microbial cloud around them, ships might also carry distinct microbial signatures. The key is testing the right waters--the bilge water from the bottoms of ships.

Released: 22-Jun-2017 10:05 AM EDT
High Fat Diet Reduces Gut Bacteria, Crohn’s Disease Symptoms
Case Western Reserve University

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have shown a high fat diet may lead to specific changes in gut bacteria that could fight harmful inflammation.

Released: 21-Jun-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Single Fungus Amplifies Crohn’s Disease Symptoms
Case Western Reserve University

A microscopic fungus called Candida tropicalis triggered gut inflammation and exacerbated symptoms of Crohn’s disease, in a recent study conducted at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Released: 20-Jun-2017 8:05 AM EDT
Penn Study Details Impact of Antibiotics, Antiseptics on Skin Microbiomes
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The use of topical antibiotics can dramatically alter communities of bacteria that live on the skin, while the use of antiseptics has a much smaller, less durable impact. The study, conducted in mice in the laboratory of Elizabeth Grice, PhD, an assistant professor of Dermatology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, is the first to show the long-term effects of antimicrobial drugs on the skin microbiome.

15-Jun-2017 12:05 PM EDT
How to Stop the Nasty Lurking Toxoplasmosis Parasite? Target Its “Stomach,” Research Suggests
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

One in three people has a potentially nasty parasite hiding inside their body -- tucked away in tiny cysts that the immune system can’t eliminate and antibiotics can’t touch. But new research reveals clues about how to stop it: Interfere with its digestion during this stubborn dormant phase.

Released: 13-Jun-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Donor Microbes Persist Up to Two Years After a Fecal Transplant to Treat Recurrent C. difficile Infection
University of Alabama at Birmingham

UAB researchers have made the first direct demonstration that fecal donor microbes remained in recipients for months or years after a transplant to treat the diarrhea and colitis caused by recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

Released: 13-Jun-2017 3:05 PM EDT
Genomic Sequencing Could Become Household Term with New Hand-Held Device
Texas A&M AgriLife

Within five years, consumers may begin using a device smaller than a flip phone to monitor the air, test their food or diagnose what germ caused an upset stomach. And the root of this capability points to what now is only for scientists — genome sequencing.

Released: 13-Jun-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Makeup of Vaginal Microbiome Linked to Preterm Birth
Washington University in St. Louis

In a study of predominantly African-American women — who have a much higher rate of delivering babies early compared with other racial groups — researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis showed that a decrease in the diversity of vaginal microbes of pregnant women between the first and second trimesters is associated with preterm birth.

Released: 9-Jun-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Bread and Health: A Personal Matter
Weizmann Institute of Science

A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science reveals that there is no difference between the health effects of “wholesome” and white bread – rather, one’s gut microbiome affects individual response.

Released: 7-Jun-2017 9:05 AM EDT
Encouraging Updated Findings of Pembrolizumab in Gastric and GEJ Cancer Presented Prior to FDA Decision
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

In updated findings from the KEYNOTE-059 trial of pembrolizumab in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, the PD-1 inhibitor maintained signs of its clinical benefit in this patient population.

Released: 6-Jun-2017 10:00 AM EDT
Penn State Joins International Phytobiomes Alliance
International Phytobiomes Alliance

Penn State University joined the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research as a sponsoring partner, both organizations announced on June 6.

31-May-2017 9:05 AM EDT
Gut Bacteria Could Protect Cancer Patients and Pregnant Women From Listeria, Study Suggests
The Rockefeller University Press

Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York have discovered that bacteria living in the gut provide a first line of defense against severe Listeria infections. The study, which will be published June 6 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggests that providing these bacteria in the form of probiotics could protect individuals who are particularly susceptible to Listeria, including pregnant women and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

5-Jun-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Higher Gut Bacteria Diversity Tied to Slower Metastatic Melanoma Progression
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

The blend of bacteria in the digestive tract of metastatic melanoma patients is associated with disease progression or delay in patients treated with immunotherapy, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Released: 1-Jun-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Ethnicity and Breastfeeding Influence Infant Gut Bacteria
McMaster University

The study looked at the microbial population in the gastrointestinal tract of infants at a formative stage of life when metabolic set points are being established. The study analyzed the stool samples from 173 white Caucasian and 182 South Asian one-year-olds recruited from two birth cohort studies (CHILD and START).

Released: 30-May-2017 10:05 AM EDT
Diabetes Linked to Bacteria Invading the Colon, Study Finds
Georgia State University

In humans, developing metabolic disease, particularly type 2 diabetes, is correlated with having bacteria that penetrate the mucus lining of the colon, according to a study led by Drs. Benoit Chassaing and Andrew Gewirtz at Georgia State University.

Released: 26-May-2017 11:00 AM EDT
Dramatic Shift in Gut Microbes and Their Metabolites Seen After Weight Loss Surgery
Arizona State University (ASU)

Obesity is linked with the composition of microbes in the human gut. In new research, bacterial composition in the gut, as well as accompanying metabolites are shown to undergo a profound and permanent shift, with microbial diversity significantly increasing following gastric bypass surgery.

24-May-2017 11:30 AM EDT
Yearlong Survey Tracks the Microbiome of a Newly Opened Hospital
University of Chicago Medical Center

A 12-month study mapping bacterial diversity within a hospital — with a focus on the flow of microbes between patients, staff and surfaces — should help hospitals worldwide better understand how to encourage beneficial microbial interactions and decrease potentially harmful contact. The Hospital Microbiome Project is the single biggest microbiome analysis of a hospital performed, and one of the largest microbiome studies ever.



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