February 26 , 2026

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Gut Microbiome

Association between the gut microbiome and plasma metabolites linked to vocalization-based temperament in Merino sheep – Luoyang Ding – microbiome

Cross-kingdom genomic variation in chicken gut microbiomes: insights from China’s diverse local breeds – Jiayu Zhang – microbiome

Microbiota-derived propionate suppresses Salmonella virulence gene expression via LuxS quorum sensing – Qianyun Zhang – microbiome

rumen microbiome

Comparative analysis of rumen metagenomes with dietary supplementation of 3-nitrooxypropanol revealed divergent modes of action in hydrogen metabolism and reductant pathways between beef and dairy cattle – Youyoung Choi – microbiome

February 13, 2026

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Gut microbiome

Host factors dictate gut microbiome alterations in chronic kidney disease more strongly than kidney function – H. Krukowski – Nature Microbiology

Baby-to-baby strain transmission shapes the developing gut microbiome – Liviana Ricci – Nature

Animal Microbiome

Microbiome by transcriptome interactions triggered by a switch to an alternative diet in Nellore cattle – Anna Carolina Fernandes – Scientific Reports

Maternal supplementation with rumen-protected arginine reshapes the ileal microbiome and enhances neonatal lamb growth – Xiangjian Peng –  Animal Microbiome

Oral Microbiome

Stimuli-responsive, antimicrobial-loaded nanocarriers for oral biofilm control and microbiome restoration – Ding Chen – International Journal of Oral Science

Modulating the oral microbiome with dental biomaterials: A review of challenges, advances, and future perspectives – Woojin Choi – Biomaterials

Plant Microbiome

Large-scale multi-omics unveils host–microbiome interactions driving root development and nitrogen acquisition – Nannan Li – Nature Plants

Ecological composite fertilizer application enhances wheat yield and optimizes rhizosphere microbial community under reduced fertilization – Yu Wang – Frontiers in Plant Science

Bioinformatics

argNorm: normalization of antibiotic resistance gene annotations to the Antibiotic Resistance Ontology (ARO) – Svetlana Ugarcina Perovic – Bioinformatics

A negative binomial latent factor model for paired microbiome sequencing data – Hyotae Kim – BMC Bioinformatics

January 29, 2026

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Animal microbiome

Host genetic background and environment have different effects on the establishment and structure of the adult worker honey bee gut microbiota – Breven Stark – PLOS ONE

Microbiota discovered in scorpion venom – Barbara Murdoch – PLOS ONE

Animal experiments / Disease models

Intestinal decontamination with rifaximin attenuates LSEC dysfunction and liver fibrosis in mice – Tingting Su – PLOS ONE

Periplaneta americana extract ameliorates recurrent oral ulcers in rats by enhancing the intestinal epithelial barrier and regulating gut microbiota – Kailing Li – PLOS ONE

Formononetin ameliorates SP-induced urticaria in mice via suppressing TAK1/MAK signaling pathway -Yan Wu –PLOS ONE

Lipopolysaccharide induced mouse depression model can better simulate changes in peripheral blood FFAs in alMDD -Jincai Pan –PLOS ONE

Human microbiome (gut & reproductive)

Stool and vaginal microbiome profiles patterns among Black and White endometrial cancer survivors: A pilot study in North Carolina – Mu Jin – PLOS ONE

Infection, immunity & host–microbe interactions

Examining the role of IgA in a persistent model of Staphylococcus aureus colonization – Yunys Perez-Betancourt – PLOS Pathogens

Diversify and conquer: How effector diversity is shaped by host–microbe co-evolution -Marion C Müller – PLOS Pathogens

Oo-No: Ophidiomyces ophidiicola–bacterial interactions and the role of skin lipids in development of ophidiomycosis – Jason W Dallas – PLOS Pathogens

Probiotics & food microbiology

In-vitro evaluation of probiotic potential of gut microbes isolated from retail chicken – Sangram Biswas – PLOS ONE

Antimicrobial resistance & clinical microbiology

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales among adult patients and their family members at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Dessie Abera – PLOS ONE

Microbiome methods & bioinformatics

PCR bias impacts microbiome ecological analyses – Dharmik R Rathod – PLOS Computational Biology

CoSMIC: A hybrid approach for large-scale, high-resolution microbial profiling of novel niches – Maor Knafo – PLOS ONE

Environmental & applied microbiology

Developing a simple, cost-effective proof-of-concept vaccine candidate against EHEC for cattle – Cecilia M Duarte – PLOS ONE

Preventive effect of bentonite against pyoderma via direct binding capability of staphylococci – Mao Kaneki – PLOS ONE

Ultraviolet light and polyethylene glycol as environmental cleaning agents to reduce contamination of Pseudogymnoascus destructans in bat hibernacula – Alyssa J Stulberg – PLOS ONE

Water, pollution & human exposure

Micro- and nanoplastics in biological samples following a drinking water intervention in Barcelona, Spain – Emma Calikanzaros – PLOS Water

Human disease & biomarkers

Evidence of an allostatic response by intestinal tissues following induction of joint inflammation – Meghan M Moran – PLOS ONE

Multi-modal data to identify key factors influencing lung injury in ARDS patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation: A prospective multi-center observational study protocol – Zhimei Duan – PLOS ONE

Integrative genomic analysis reveals DHX58 as a key player in gastric cancer – Yan Li – PLOS ONE

Identifying biomarkers for diagnosis and disease activity monitoring in PSC-IBD and UC through proteomic profiling: A prospective study protocol – Ondrej Fabian – PLOS ONE

S100-alarmins, antenatal corticosteroids and the risk of late-onset sepsis in preterm infants – Gloria Kessler – PLOS ONE

Exploring the role of the key gene TNFAIP3 between periodontitis and influenza A through bioinformatic analysis and molecular docking – Mingxiang Xu – PLOS ONE

GC-MS based bioactive profiling of Phyllanthus niruri and its antibacterial potential – Zubair Khalid Labu – PLOS ONE

January 28, 2026

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Reproductive / Urogenital Microbiome & Host–Pathogen Interactions

The interactive relationship between Fusobacterium necrophorum, Bacteroides pyogenes, and Porphyromonas levii in driving inflammatory uterine disease – Dianjun Cao – microbiome

 Gut Microbiome, Diet, and Host Health

Total and different types of olive oil consumption, gut microbiota, and cognitive function changes in older adults –Jiaqi Ni – microbiome

Environmental Microbiome & Antimicrobial Resistance (Resistome)

Beyond borders: plasmids drive a shared antibiotic resistome in European urban water systems

– Wanli He – microbiome

Spatial and temporal patterns of public transit aerobiomes – Russell J. S. Or – microbiome

Food Chain, Meat Microbiome & Resistome Dynamics

Microbiome and resistome successions in pig carcasses and fresh pork meat throughout slaughtering, processing and shelf-life – Elena Fernández-Trapote – microbiome

Microbiome–Immune System Interactions

Commensal microbe-derived butyrate enhances T follicular helper cell function to boost mucosal vaccine efficacy – Haeun Ko – microbiome

Animal microbiome

A culturomics approach reveals cross-feeding capacity of intestinal pig bacteria upon release of inositol from phytate – Lena-Sophie Paul – microbiome

January 23, 2026

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Animal microbiome

Bacterial-archaeal co-occurrence in honey bee gut microbiomes across host species and management regimes -Jian-Ping Ying –PLOS ONE

Bacterial community associated with the surface and inside of centipede forcipules: Identification and characterization -Yasutaka Tanaka – PLOS ONE

Human reproductive & urinary microbiome

Vaginal chlorhexidine gluconate versus fluconazole for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomized noninferiority trial – Cathrin Alvendal – PLOS ONE

Infection and transplantation / Host–microbe interactions

DnaK supports intracellular persistence of Staphylococcus xylosus and confers mechanical resilience to a human breast cancer cell line – Lei Ye – PLOS ONE

Investigation of a viable but non-culturable state in Porphyromonas gingivalis and host cell invasion – Adenrele Oludiran – PLOS ONE

Microbial ecology & symbiosis

Mono-mix strategy enables comparative proteomics of a cross-kingdom microbial symbiosis – Sunnyjoy Dupuis – PLOS ONE

Oral microbiome & animal experiments

Effects of glycyrrhizin on healing and prevention of recurrent aphthous stomatitis in hamster models – Fumie Shiba – PLOS ONE

Plant, soil & ecological microbiome

Tree species-specific strategies of soil aggregation driven by SOC–GRSP coupling under nitrogen addition and precipitation reduction -Mingxin Zhou – PLOS ONE

Microbial genomics & bioremediation

Genomic analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii DUEMBL6 reveals diesel bioremediation potential and biosafety concerns – Nizam Uddin – PLOS ONE

Human gut & inflammatory disease

Identification of hypoxia- and mitophagy-related diagnostic biomarkers for ulcerative colitis based on bioinformatic analysis and machine learning – Zewei Sheng – PLOS ONE

Oral & dental archaeology / Ancient microbiome

Paleo-proteomic analysis of Iron Age dental calculus provides direct evidence of Scythian reliance on ruminant dairy – Jaruschka Pecnik – PLOS ONE

Cancer & clinical oncology

Radiomics profiling combined with clinical risk factors for preoperative lymphatic metastasis prediction in colorectal cancer: A multicenter study – Fangda Guo – PLOS ONE

Toxicology & respiratory health

Potential mechanisms and effects of AFB1-induced asthma: A comprehensive analysis based on network toxicology and molecular docking – Zhiyue Yu – PLOS ONE

Human development & diet (archaeology / isotopes)

Fed the same way? Exploring the influence of breastfeeding, weaning, and childhood diet on adult sex ratios through stable isotope analysis of incremental dentine in Medieval Tuscany – Alessio Amaro – PLOS ONE

January 16, 2026

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Human Microbiome

The testobolome in microbial testosterone metabolism and human health – Liisa Veerus –  
npj biofilms and microbiomes 

Multi-omic definition of metabolic obesity through adipose tissue–microbiome interactions – Rima M. Chakaroun – Nature Medicine

Gut microbiome

The microbiome at the centre of NAD+ supplementation – Youngjae Jo – Nature Metabolism

Meta-analysis of H. pylori and the gut microbiome interactions and clinical outcomes – Xiongjian Wu – Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Environmental Microbiome

High microbial diversity in glacial habitats uncoupled from the specialized microbiomes of resident chironomid fauna – Valeria Lencioni – PLOS One

Bacterial communities show distinctive spatial diversity patterns in productive truffle orchards amended with peat-based substrate – Pedro Marco –  Environmental Microbiome

Plant Microbiome

Root Triterpenoid Metabolites Drive the Assembly and Feedback Regulation of the Rhizosphere Microbiome During Flowering to Senescence in Rhododendron hybridum – Fei Shan – Frontiers in Microbiology

Drought-Tolerant Rhizobacterial Consortia Enhance Grapevine Growth and Tolerance to Water Deficit – Ginevra Canavera – Frontiers in Plant Science

Bioinformatics

Integrative analysis across metagenomic taxonomic classifiers: A case study of the gut microbiome in aging and longevity in the Integrative Longevity Omics Study – Tanya T. Karagiannis – PLOS Computational Biology

Novel artificial selection method improves function of simulated microbial communities – Bjorn Vessman – PLOS Computational Biology

January 14, 2026

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See you at MVIF next week!

Start 2026 with us! Join us in discussing microbiome science: register here → cassyni.com/s/mvif-45

— Microbiome Virtual International Forum (@microbiomevif.bsky.social) 2026-01-08T08:16:08.069Z


Gut microbiome

Early-life colonization by aromatic-lactate-producing bifidobacteria lowers the risk of allergic sensitization – Pernille Neve Myers – Nature Microbiology 

Improving operative outcomes in patients with stomas – Stella M. Dilke – medRxiv

🎉🎉🎉 New preprint to start the new year 🎉🎉🎉Patients recovering from bowel surgery may have stomas formed to divert the flow of faeces to the opening on the skin, away from healing intestinal tissue. The visible sign of this process is an ileostomy or colostomy bag. /1#surgerysky #medsky

— Professor Lesley Hoyles (@bugsinyourguts.bsky.social) 2026-01-07T11:02:35.631Z

Gut microbiota induces mammary gland sIgA production to alleviate S. aureus mastitis – Zhaoqi He – Cell Reports

Microbial signature of pediatric Crohn’s disease: Differentiation from functional gastrointestinal disorders and relationship with increased disease activity – Jeremiah Levine – Physiological Reports

Gut micro-organisms associated with health, nutrition and dietary interventions – Francesco Asnicar – Nature

I'm very happy to share our latest manuscript published today in @nature.com !! ➡️ doi.org/10.1038/s415…We analyzed data from over 34,000 participants in the US and UK, revealing strong associations between specific gut bacteria and markers of cardiometabolic health and dietary habits.

— Francesco Asnicar (@fasnicar.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T17:26:39.522Z

Oral microbiome

Are you involved in oral microbiome research? 🧬We’re conducting a brief survey to understand how researchers report metadata for their oral microbiome studies. You must be 18 or older. To be eligible, you must have conducted research on the oral microbiome (past or currently).

— Sterling L. Wright (@anthbyte.bsky.social) 2026-01-07T04:03:01.699Z

Animal microbiome

Impact of sequencing approach on ecological inference from highly variable bat gut microbiomes – Ostaizka Aizpurua – bioRxiv

Animal experiments

Primate gut microbiota induce evolutionarily salient changes in mouse neurodevelopment – Alex R. DeCasien – PNAS

The maternal microbiome influence on pregnancy success: breeding comparison of germ-free and conventionalized mice – Chudan Xu – Gut Microbes

Our first paper of 2026 is outWhen we began this project, this was not the paper we set out to publishBut science has a way of redirecting us toward the questions we should be asking#Microbiome researchers-this one’s for youwww.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10….🧵

— Prof Francine Marques (@fzmarques.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T00:45:36.844Z

Plant, soil, root microbiome

Bark microbiota modulate climate-active gas fluxes in Australian forests – Pok Man Leung – Science 

In this week’s @science.org cover article, we discover tree bark is a hidden habitat for abundant, diverse, and specialized microbial life that actively regulate our climate 🦠. Bark isn't just an inert armor of tree but an active interface for climate and biodiversitywww.science.org/eprint/7H9PX…

— Bob Leung (@bobpmleung.bsky.social) 2026-01-08T20:37:13.725Z

Translational microbiomes in agriculture: microbial communities as tools to effect host and system health for improved crop production – Alex D. Vompe – Applied and Environmental Microbiology 

Extreme environments

Microbial Community Metagenomics in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific Oxygen Minimum Zone Reveals Functional Differences Along Biogeochemical Gradients – F. Gutierrez – Environmental Microbiology 

Bioinformatics

LAMPP: A benchmark for continuous evaluation of host phenotype prediction from shotgun metagenomic data – Netta Barak – bioRxiv

January 13 , 2026

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Environmental & Wastewater Microbiomes

Viral and eukaryotic drivers of prokaryotic and antibiotic resistance gene diversity in wastewater microbiomes – Antonia Weiss – Springer nature

Correction: Global abundance patterns, diversity, and ecology of Patescibacteria in wastewater treatment plants – Huifeng Hu – Springer nature

Ruminant & Livestock Gut Microbiomes

The impact of rumen and hindgut microbiomes on the persistent productivity of long-lived dairy cows – Jianhao Yang – Springer nature

Rumen microbiota modulates metabolic stress in high-yield dairy cows: insights from early to peak lactation – Moli Li – Springer nature

Rumen microbiota inoculation indicates collaborative mechanisms enhancing propionate supply to alleviate weaning stress in lambs – Tianrong Chen – Springer nature

Host-Associated Gut Microbiomes (Non-Human Models)

Ningxiang pig-derived Enterococcus hirae protects against E. coli-induced gut dysbiosis and inflammation via acetate/propionate-MyD88-NF-κB axis in piglets – Longlin Zhang – Springer nature

Insect & Evolutionary Microbiomes

Gut microbiome convergence and functional adaptation underlie the evolution of predation in stink bugs (Heteroptera Pentatomidae) –Jingjing Sun – Springer nature

December 19, 2025

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Animal microbiome

The innate immune IMD pathway is a key regulator of gut microbiome and metabolic homeostasis in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) – Premruethai Supungul – PLOS ONE

Human gut microbiome & nutrition

The evaluation of indoxyl sulfate in the general population in Kanegasaki Iwate: A cross-sectional study (KANEGASAKI study) – Mizuki Hisano – PLOS ONE

The relationship between dietary intake of B vitamins and Helicobacter pylori seropositivity – Yuexia Lu – PLOS ONE

Plant, soil & ecological microbiome

Zinc ion increases the effectiveness of phosphorus in agricultural soils through microbial solubilization – Lanxin Tang – PLOS ONE

Optimizing soil quality and rhizosphere ecology to enhance Annona squamosa yield and quality through water–fertilizer–mulching synergy – Weihua Wang – PLOS ONE

Concentration-dependent effects of fermented spent coffee grounds and contrasting effects of earthworms on growth and phytochemicals in medicinal plant Glechoma longituba – Bing-Nan Zhao – PLOS ONE

Animal experiments (model organisms)

The Drosophila G protein-coupled receptor, GulpR, is essential for lipid mobilization in response to nutrient limitation – Daniela Barraza – PLOS Genetics

High-protein diets reduce plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines following lipopolysaccharide challenge in Swiss Albino mice – Hellen W Kinyi – PLOS ONE

Clinical research & public health

Impact of an integrated intervention package during preconception, pregnancy, and early childhood on inflammation, IGF-1, IGFBP3 during first 6 months of life: Findings from the WINGS randomized controlled trial – Ranadip Chowdhury – PLOS Global Public Health

Lack of association between loneliness, social isolation and inflammation in people living with HIV aged ≥50 years – Jose-Ramon Blanco – PLOS ONE

Effect of obesity and exercise training on circulating lipids in American Indian adolescents – Charles F Hojjat – PLOS ONE

From mental health detention to health systems reform: Co-producing policy and practice recommendations with Black men and their communities – Elaine Craig – PLOS Mental Health

Microbial genetics & bacterial physiology

Whole-genome analysis of Lysinibacillus boronitolerans MSR1: A dairy-isolated multidrug-resistant and non-pathogenic strain – Md Shahedur Rahman – PLOS ONE

A metabolic atlas of the Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex reveals lineage-specific metabolism and intra-species cooperation – Ben Vezina – PLOS Biology

Clinical biomarkers & immunology

Blood RNA biomarkers and a point-of-care elastase assay for detecting host immune activation in suspected sepsis – John E Lafleur – PLOS ONE

Multi-omics analysis reveals diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers for aging phenotypes in ulcerative colitis – Lei Guo – PLOS ONE

Oral health & microbiome

The impact of diet and oral hygiene on dental caries among Turkish children: A cross-sectional study – Ozge Yesildemir – PLOS ONE

Molecular biology & immunity

LIPL-1 and LIPL-2 are TCER-1-regulated lysosomal lipases with distinct roles in immunity and fertility – Laura Bahr – PLOS Genetics

December 12, 2025

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Animal microbiome

Human-derived fecal virome transplantation (FVT) reshapes the murine gut microbiota and virome, enhancing glucose regulation – Cervantes-Echeverría – PLOS ONE

TTSS-2 virulence drives inflammatory destruction of the gut epithelial barrier and modulates inflammatory response profiles in the Salmonella-infected mouse gut – Enz – PLOS Pathogens

Aspartic protease 2 from Trichinella spiralis excretion/secretion products hydrolyzes tight junctions of intestinal epithelial cells – Long – PLOS NTDs

Endosymbiont hijacking of acylcarnitines regulates insect vector fecundity by suppressing the viability of stored sperm – Weiss – PLOS Genetics

Development and validation of a quantitative real-time PCR assay for enumeration of Clostridium sporogenes in meat products – Schuller – PLOS ONE

Rooting for data: A FAIR research data management environment for Plant-Microbe collaboration – Dröst – PLOS Pathogens (Plant microbiome)

Prolonged starvation deepens quiescence in Vasa2/Piwi1-expressing cells of a sea anemone – Pascual-Carreras – PLOS Biology

Host–microbe interactions / Immunology

Gut bacteria induce heterologous immune priming in Rhodnius prolixus encompassing humoral and cellular responses – Gilliland – PLOS Pathogens

Dietary flavonoids may improve insulin resistance: NHANES + in vitro – Sui – PLOS ONE

Antiviral and immune-modulatory activities of STING agonists in persistent HBV infection – Wang – PLOS Pathogens

Endosymbiont metabolic manipulation affecting insect reproduction – Weiss – PLOS Genetics

Human clinical studies / Metabolism

Effects of risperidone on amino acid metabolism, glucose & kidney function – Oshima – PLOS ONE

Association between Anti-H. pylori IgG and coronary heart disease – Wang – PLOS ONE

Benefits of psychosocial support for adolescent mothers in Uganda – Nakyaze – PLOS ONE

Modifiable risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease in Kuwait – Alhasan – PLOS ONE

Exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles disrupts trophoblast mitochondrial homeostasis – Hao – PLOS ONE

Molecular mechanisms of lipid metabolism abnormalities driving sepsis & atrial fibrillation – Ou – PLOS ONE

Multi-dimensional analysis of global colorectal cancer burden (1990–2021) – Sun – PLOS ONE

Computational / Modeling

Identification of dynamic models of microbial communities – Paredes-Vázquez – PLOS Comp Biol

Accuracy limits of the Lotka–Volterra model in strongly coupled microbial systems – Mustri – PLOS Comp Biol

Plant, soil & ecological microbiome

High-resolution melting assays for discrimination of fungal pathogens in grapevine trunk disease – Azevedo-Nogueira – PLOS ONE

Rooting for data: FAIR data environment for plant–microbe collaboration – Dröst – PLOS Pathogens

Environmental health / Climate / Water

Bridging water, health and climate: A call to action – Hedke – PLOS Water