Prevotella and host genetics’ roles in vaginal microbiota, saliva microbiota and dental caries, microbes on tree stumps, fungi in Hammams, and a new  CRISPR–Cas system.

Human oral microbiome

* Exploration of bacterial species associated with the salivary microbiome of individuals with a low susceptibility to dental caries – Haruna Yasunaga – Clinical Oral Investigations

Human respiratory microbiome

Nasal Airway Microbiota Profile and Severe Bronchiolitis in Infants: A Case-Control Study – Hasegawa, Kohei – The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

Review: The Lung Microbiome and Airway Disease – Susan V. Lynch – Annals of the American Thoracic Society

Human bladder microbiome

Is there a link between urinary microbiota and bladder cancer? – Didier Raoult – European Journal of Epidemiology

Human vaginal microbiome

* Prevotella as a Hub for Vaginal Microbiota under the Influence of Host Genetics and Their Association with Obesity – Jiyeon Si – Cell Host & Microbe

Human gut microbiome

Differences in Metabolism of Ellagitannins by Human Gut Microbiota ex Vivo Cultures
– Jakub P. Piwowarski – Journal of Natural Products

Probiotic properties of Oxalobacter formigenes: an in vitro examination – Archives of Microbiology

The effects of administration of the Lactobacillus gasseri strain CP2305 on quality of life, clinical symptoms and changes in gene expression in patients with irritable bowel syndrome – K. Nobutani – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Review: The microbiome, immunity, and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder – Faith Dickerson – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Review: Emerging role of intestinal microbiota and microbial metabolites in metabolic control – Hilde Herrema – Diabetologia

Review: Microbial Dysbiosis in Common Variable Immune Deficiencies: Evidence, Causes, and Consequences – Roos-Marijn Berbers – Trends in Immunology

Review: Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond – Maria L Marco – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Animal experiments

Individual differences in stress vulnerability: the role of gut pathobionts in stress-induced colitis – Dominik Langgartner – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Impact of prebiotics on metabolic and behavioral alterations in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome – Lourdes Fernández de Cossío – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

I assume this one was done in animals but not clear: Prenatal stress affects placental cytokines and neurotrophins, commensal microbes, and anxiety-like behavior in adult female offspring – Tamar L. Gur – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Animal microbiome

First characterization of viruses from freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria, the intermediate host of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni – Richard Galinier – Acta Tropica

Fish: Effects of microbe- and mussel-based diets on the gut microbiota in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) – Andreas Nyman – Aquaculture Reports

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Interaction of chiral herbicides with soil microorganisms, algae and vascular plants – Muhammad Asad Ullah Asad – Science of the Total Environment

Mineral type and tree species determine the functional and taxonomic structure of forest soil bacterial communities – Y. Colin – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

* Colonization of Fungi and Bacteria in Stumps and Roots of Scots Pine after Thinning and Treatment with Rotstop – Katarzyna Kubiak – Journal of Phytopathology

Built environment microbiology

* Indoor fungal contamination of traditional public baths (Hammams) – Leyla Benammar – International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation

Waste and pollution microbiology

Alkaline Technosol contaminated by former mining activity and its culturable autochthonous microbiota – A. Šimonovičová – Chemosphere

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

* New CRISPR–Cas systems from uncultivated microbes – David Burstein – Nature

A small-sample multivariate kernel machine test for microbiome association studies
– Xiang Zhan – Genetic Epidemiology

Recycler: an algorithm for detecting plasmids from de novo assembly graphs –
Roye Rozov – Bioinformatics

A general framework for association analysis of microbial communities on a taxonomic tree – Zheng-Zheng Tang – Bioinformatics

Introducing EzBioCloud: A taxonomically united database of 16S rRNA and whole genome assemblies – Seok-Hwan Yoon – International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Genomic sequencing illuminates recent Shigella outbreaks in California. Researchers identify genes associated with toxin production and antibiotic resistance – Science Daily

Raw meat: Eating so-called ‘cannibal sandwiches’ can be deadly, health official says.Consumption of uncooked beef poses a health risk – Dave Delozier – Channel3000

Ancient Chinese malaria remedy may help fight TB – Deccan Chronicle

The natural history of cheese mites – Scott Chimileski – American Society for Microbiology

The throwaway scope: A way to ditch superbugs? – Chad Terhune – Seacoast Online

Science, publishing, and career

Life Science Controversies of 2016 – Jef Akst – The Scientist

The world’s favourite lab animal has been found wanting, but there are new twists in the mouse’s tale – The Economist