by Liz Ahlberg Touchstone, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Dietary fiber found in grains is a large component of many diets, but little is understood about how we digest the fiber, as humans lack enzymes to break down the complex molecules. Some species of gut bacteria break down the fiber in such...
by Kiel University High-throughput sequencing can be used to obtain the genetic information of a living organism within a few hours. Credit: SoulPicture|Kiel, IKMB Uni Kiel For several years, scientists worldwide have been investigating the extent to which microorganisms living in and on the human body influence central life processes and thus health and disease. Today...
Scientists studying the body’s natural defenses against bacterial infection have identified a nutrient — taurine — that helps the gut recall prior infections and kill invading bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn). The finding, published in the journal Cell by scientists from five institutes of the National Institutes of Health, could aid efforts seeking alternatives to antibiotics. Scientists know...
by Frontiers Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain You are likely familiar with the serious consequences of anorexia for those who experience it, but you might not be aware that the disorder may not be purely psychological. A recent review from researchers at the University of Oxford in the open-access journal Frontiers in Psychiatryexamines the evidence that gut microbes could play...
by Marcene Robinson, University at Buffalo Credit: CC0 Public Domain The human body is filled with friendly bacteria. However, some of these microorganisms, such as Veillonella parvula, may be too nice. These peaceful bacteria engage in a one-sided relationship with pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, helping the germ multiply and cause gum disease, according to a new University...
The microbiome comprises trillions of microorganisms living on and inside each of us. Historically, some researchers have guessed at its role in human health, but in the last decade or so genetic sequencing techniques have illuminated this galaxy of microorganisms enough to study it in detail. As researchers unravel the complex interplay between our bodies and microbiomes, they are...
The human body is filled with friendly bacteria. However, some of these microorganisms, such as Veillonella parvula, may be too nice. These peaceful bacteria engage in a one-sided relationship with pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis, helping the germ multiply and cause gum disease, according to a new University at Buffalo-led study. The human body is filled with...
by Pasteur Institute Credit: Pascal Marseaud Depression is a mental disorder that affects more than 264 million people of all ages worldwide. Understanding its mechanisms is vital for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, Inserm and the CNRS recently conducted a study showing that an imbalance in the gut bacterial community...
Trillions of microbes—bacteria, viruses, fungi—colonize in our bodies, and their genome of genetic instructions work alongside ours. Over the past two decades of microbiome research, scientists have accumulated a veritable field guide to these microbes that live on, in and around us, and they have begun to understand the integral role microbes play in our digestion...
by Centenary Institute Research led by the Centenary Institute, the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Queensland has shown for the first time a link between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an often fatal lung condition, and the gut microbiome. The findings, published in the high impact science journal Nature Communications, suggests that the gut may...
