After a busy day showing three motivated high school students how to extract DNA and detect microbes from shoe soles, floor tiles, and mouths, finally time to catch up with the literature. Be sure to scroll down for the Microbiome Game.

Conferences and other events

March 19th, 2PM ET: Cheese Microbe Communities – Google Hangouts

29 June – 1 July 2015: Exploring Human Host-Microbiome Interactions in Health and Disease,  Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK

Human gut microbiome

A randomised, double- blind, cross-over study investigating the prebiotic effect of agave fructans in healthy human subjects – P. Ramnani – Journal of Nutritional Science

Water microbiome

Global dispersion and local diversification of the methane seep microbiome – S. Emil Ruff – PNAS USA

CRISPRs, phages, and viruses

Targeting Enterococcus faecalis biofilm using phage therapy – Leron Khalifa – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Metagenomics

Quality control of microbiota metagenomics by k-mer analysis – Florian Plaza Onate – BMC Genomics

Expression of multiple horizontally acquired genes is a hallmark of both vertebrate and invertebrate genomes – Alastair Crisp – Genome Biology

Microbes in the news

Satire: Hipsterome – Pap Py – Megabiome

Satire: Hungry researchers have hard time replicating “Subway” microbiome study – Leaf E. Greens – Megabiome

Baby Microbiomes: Christi Investigates – Alexandra Carmichael – uBiome

Our viral companions – David Woodland – Summit Daily

Microbiome Editing with CRISPR/Cas9 Has Research, Diagnostic Potential – Andrew P. Han

Agave prebiotic significantly increases some faecal friendly bacteria, say researchers – Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn – Nutraingredients

Horse dung has scientists on scent of antibiotic success – Jim Drury – Business Insider

Connection with bacteria found in sewage and weight gain – Tim Sandle – Digital Journal

Microbes and art

Gut Check: The Microbiome Game – David Coil – Microbe.net

“Gut Check is a game for 2-4 players where each player attempts to develop a healthy microbiome while interfering with the microbiomes of their opponents.”

Contaminant snowman – MicrobeWorld

Science, publishing, and career

Why you can’t always believe what you read in scientific journals – Julia Belluz – Vox

To Apply or Not to Apply: A Survey Analysis of Grant Writing Costs and Benefits – Ted von Hippel, Courtney von Hippel – PLOS ONE

Bik’s Picks

Your Eyes Are Wired Backwards: Here’s Why – Science 2.0

DNA is packaged like a yoyo, scientists find – Science Daily

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s the chemistry that makes your beer taste good (or bad) – Rachel Feltman – Washington Post

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