Pollen has a microbiome. The mode of birth and breastfed status correlates with alterations in the gut microbiome and urine metabolome of children. A catalog of the gut microbiome of the Tyrolean Iceman and ancient bacteria strains. And, the first evidence that phages coordinate their lysis–lysogeny (active-dormant) phases with each other, and even inter-generationally, via small molecule signalling.

• Events and jobs

Lab Technician – Microbiology – GMP – Cambridge – £16k – New Scientist

Podcast: Gut Bacteria and Parkinson’s Connection – Maggie McGuire Kuhl – The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

• General microbiome

Ancient bacteria of the Ötzi’s microbiome: a genomic tale from the Copper Age – Gabriele Andrea Lugli – Microbiome

• Pregnancy and early life

Evolution of gut microbiota composition from birth to 24 weeks in the INFANTMET Cohort – Cian J. Hill – Microbiome

Oral colostrum priming shortens hospitalization without changing the immunomicrobial milieu – J Romano-Keeler – Journal of Perinatology

• Multi-site human microbiome

Comparative Genome Sequencing Reveals Within-Host Genetic Changes in Neisseria meningitidis during Invasive Disease – Johanna Klughammer – PLOSone

• Human respiratory microbiome

The effect of cigarette smoking on the oral and nasal microbiota – Guoqin Yu – Microbiome

Bacterial community collapse: a meta-analysis of the sinonasal microbiota in chronic rhinosinusitis – Brett Wagner Mackenzie – Environmental Microbiology

• Human skin microbiome

Review – Cyanobacterial metabolites as a source of sunscreens and moisturizers: a comparison with current synthetic compounds – Peyman Derikvand – European Journal of Phycology

• Human gut microbiome

Impact of short-chain galactooligosaccharides on the gut microbiome of lactose-intolerant individuals – M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril – PNAS

• Animal experiments

Drosophila Genotype Influences Commensal Bacterial Levels – Angela M. Early – PLOSone

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 Attenuates Induction of Hypertrophy in Cardiomyocytes but not through Secreted Protein MSP-1 (p75) – Grace Ettinger – PLOSone

• Animal microbiome

Happens in the best of subfamilies: establishment and repeated replacements of co-obligate secondary endosymbionts within Lachninae aphids – Alejandro Manzano-Marín – Environmental Microbiology

Evolution of new sex chromosomes by lateral genome transfer of bacterial symbiont in pillbug – Richard Cordaux – Journal 2016 International Congress of Entomology

• Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Pollen has a microbiome: implications for plant reproduction, insect pollination and human allergies – Michael Zasloff – Evironmental Microbiology

Phosphorus acquisition efficiency in arbuscular mycorrhizal maize is correlated with the abundance of root-external hyphae and the accumulation of transcripts encoding PHT1 phosphate transporters – Ruairidh J. H. Sawers – New Phytologist

• Water and extremophile microbiome 

Coastal bacterioplankton community response to diatom-derived polysaccharide microgels – Joe D Taylor – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Abundant and rare picoeukaryotic sub-communities present contrasting patterns in the epipelagic waters of marginal seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean – Wenxue Wu – Environmental Microbiology

• Built environment

Effect of temperature and colonization of Legionella pneumophila and Vermamoeba vermiformis on bacterial community composition of copper drinking water biofilms – Helen Y. Buse – Microbial Biotechnology

• Phages and viruses

Communication between viruses guides lysis–lysogeny decisions – Zohar Erez – Nature

• Bioinformatics and Databases

Data from: Network structure and local adaptation in coevolving bacteria-phage interactions – Gurney J, Aldakak – Dryad Digital Repository

• Techniques

Optical sorting and cultivation of denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation archaea – Xiaoqiong Qi – Biomedical Optics Express

• Microbes in the news 

Friends for life: human microbiota – E.M. Bik – uBiome

Advancing Phage Therapy  -Joanna Urban – American Society for Microbiology

Bacteria-Treated Mosquitoes Released in More Locations – Kerry Grens – The Scientist

Asgard Archaea Hint at Eukaryotic Origins – Joshua A. Krisch – The Scientist

UNC researchers lead study of prebiotic recomposition in gut microbiome for lactose intolerance – Life Science Daily News Desk

Breastmilk crucial to aid premature C-section babies – Joyce Fegan – Irish Examiner

New study provides insight into fighting drug-resistant bacteria – Isabelle Doan – The Chronicle

Snow microbes used in art – Matt Brooks – WTHITV10

• Microbes on the market 

Rebiotix, Mayo Team Up To Test Orally-Administered Gut Microbe Transplant – Don Jacobson – Twin Cities Business