The role of saliva in structuring human oral bacterial communities, effects of permafrost thaw on methanogenic communities, and articles on the microbiomes of termites, burying beetles, honey bees, and mosquitoes.

Human oral microbiome

A spatial gradient of bacterial diversity in the human oral cavity shaped by salivary flow – Diana M Proctor – Nature Communications

Human vaginal microbiome

To ‘douche’ or not to ‘douche’: hygiene habits may have detrimental effects on vaginal microbiota – Erdogan Aslan – Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Human gut microbiome

Elevated circulating levels of succinate in human obesity are linked to specific gut microbiota – Carolina Serena – The ISME Journal

Infection and Microbiome: Impact of Tuberculosis on Human Gut Microbiome of Indian Cohort – Utkarsh Sood – Indian Journal of Microbiology

Comparative metaproteomics analysis shows altered fecal microbiota signatures in patients with major depressive disorder – Zhi Chen – NeuroReport

Animal experiments

Protective effect of Group B Streptococcus type-III polysaccharide conjugates against maternal colonization, ascending infection and neonatal transmission in rodent models – Emiliano Chiarot – Scientific Reports

Animal microbiome

Pre-print: Axenic Aedes aegypti develop without live bacteria, but exhibit delayed development and reduced oviposition – Maria A Correa – bioRxiv

Two novel strains of Torulaspora delbrueckii isolated from the honey bee gut microbiome and their use in honey fermentation – Joseph P Barry – bioRxiv

Gut microbiota in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides, provide colonization resistance against larval bacterial pathogens – Yin Wang – Ecology and Evolution

Rampant Host Switching Shaped the Termite Gut Microbiome – Thomas Bourguignon – Current Biology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Melanization of mycorrhizal fungal necromass structures microbial decomposer communities – Christopher W Fernandez – Journal of Ecology

Fungal community shifts underpin declining mycelial production and turnover across a Pinus sylvestris chronosequence – Andreas Hagenbo – Journal of Ecology

Mycorrhizal symbioses influence the trophic structure of the Serengeti – Bo Maxwell Stevens – Journal of Ecology

The Populus holobiont: dissecting the effects of plant niches and genotype on the microbiome – M A Cregger – Microbiome

Water and extremophile microbiome

Pre-print: Transgenerational inheritance of shuffled symbiont communities in the coral Montipora digitata – Kate Quigley – bioRxiv

Shifts of methanogenic communities in response to permafrost thaw results in rising methane emissions and soil property changes – Shiping Wei – Extremophiles

Food microbiology

Dynamic correlations between microbiota succession and flavor development involved in the ripening of Kazak artisanal cheese – Xiaoji Zheng – Food Research International

Application of high-throughput pyrosequencing in the analysis of microbiota of food commodities procured from small and large retail outlets in a U.S. metropolitan area – A pilot study – Daleniece Higgins – Food Research International

Phages and viruses

The analysis of the oral DNA virome reveals which viruses are widespread and rare among healthy young adults in Valencia (Spain) – Vicente Pérez-Brocal – PLOS ONE

More microbes

Lactobacillus plantarum lipoteichoic acid inhibits biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans – Ki Bum Ahn – PLOS ONE

Microbes in the news

In soil-dwelling bacteria, scientists find a new weapon to fight drug-resistant superbugs – Melissa Healy – Los Angeles Times

• Source article: Culture-independent discovery of the malacidins as calcium-dependent antibiotics with activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens – Bradley M Hover – Nature Microbiology

Interdisciplinary approach yields new insights into human evolution – Liz Entman – Vanderbilt University News

Viruses and Bacteria Travel Along a High-Altitude Superhighway – Dave Roos – Seeker

Science, career, and publishing

Pre-print: The impact on authors and editors of introducing Data Availability Statements at Nature journals – Rebecca Grant – bioRxiv