Nose, glycan, butyrate, microbes on plastics, seawater microbial mats, and plants with microbes.

Respiratory microbiome

The nasal cavity microbiota of healthy adults – Christine M Bassis, Alice L Tang, Vincent B Young and Melissa A Pynnonen – Microbiome

“In our initial analysis, we compared the bacterial communities of the nasal cavity and the oral cavity from ten of these subjects.”

Gut microbiome

Glycan Degradation (GlyDeR) Analysis Predicts Mammalian Gut Microbiota Abundance and Host Diet-Specific Adaptations – Omer Eilam – mBio

“Based on GlyDeR, we found a clear connection between microbial glycan degradation and human diet, and we suggest a method for the rational design of novel prebiotics.”

Microbial-Derived Butyrate: An Oncometabolite or Tumor-Suppressive Metabolite? -Scott J. Bultman, Christian Jobin – Cell Host & Microbe

“Dietary factors, microbial composition, and metabolism are intimately intertwined into a complex network whose activities influence important intestinal functions”

Review: Collateral Damage: Microbiota-Derived Metabolites and Immune Function in the Antibiotic Era – Christopher A. Lopez – Cell Host & Microbe

“A disruption of gut-associated microbial communities by antibiotic treatment can result in a depletion of microbiota-derived metabolites, thereby enhancing pathogen susceptibility, impairing immune homeostasis, and contributing to the rise of certain chronic inflammatory diseases”

Animal model of microbiome

Differential Modulation by Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii of Host Peripheral Lipid Metabolism and Histone Acetylation in Mouse Gut Organoids
Sabina Lukovac – mBio

“The aim of this study was to characterize effects of the microbiota on host epithelium using a novel ex vivo model based on mouse ileal organoids.”

Plant microbiome

Phyllosphere Microbiota Composition and Microbial Community Transplantation on Lettuce Plants Grown Indoors – Thomas R. Williams, Maria L. Marco – mBio

“We found that Romaine lettuce grown in the laboratory contained 10- to 100-fold lower numbers of bacteria than age-matched, field-grown lettuce.”

Fundamental Plant Chemicals Rooted in Bacteria – Jenna Iacurci – Nature World News

“A fundamental chemical pathway that all plants use to create the essential amino acid phenylalanine has now been traced to two groups of ancient bacteria, a new study reports.”

Water microbiome

Spatial and seasonal variation in diversity and structure of microbial biofilms on marine plastics in Northern European waters – Sonja Oberbeckmann – FEMS Microbial Ecology

“Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing analysis revealed that plastisphere microbial communities on PET fragments varied both with season and location, and comprised of bacteria belonging to Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and members of the eukaryotes Bacillariophyceae and Phaeophyceae. “

Molecular Ecology of Microbial Mats – Henk Bolhuis – FEMS Microbial Ecology

“Here, we summarize some of the latest developments in metagenomic analysis of three representative phototrophic microbial mat types (coastal, hot spring and hypersaline).”

Microbes in the news

Wearable structure of bacteria references antique animal bone corsets

“in terms of the material, it is grown from acetobacter xylinum, a strain of bacteria that produces a microbial cellulose textile as it consumes glucose.”

Bik’s Picks

Google Maps Dives Underwater – Scientific American

“Google has taken its ‘street view’ maps to a whole new level—namely, the ocean’s depths. “

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