October 4, 2017

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Today’s digest features excellent reviews on recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy technology for understanding bacterial ribosome assembly, and impact of gut microbiome on therapeutics. Happy reading!

General microbiome

Towards standards for human fecal sample processing in metagenomic studies – Paul I Costea – Nature Biotechnology

Assessment of variation in microbial community amplicon sequencing by the Microbiome Quality Control (MBQC) project consortium – Rashmi Sinha – Nature Biotechnology

Editorial : Microbiome yarns: microbiome basis of memory – Kenneth Timmis – Microbial Biotechnology

Review : Cross Talk: The Microbiota and Neurodevelopmental Disorders – John R. Kelly – Frontiers in Neuroscience

Review : Gut Microbiota, Immune System, and Bone – P. D’Amelio – Calcified Tissue International

Pregnancy and early life

Meconium microbiome as a new source of information about long-term health and disease: questions and answers – P. Wilczyńska – The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine

Evolution in fecal bacterial/viral composition in infants of two central African countries (Gabon and Republic of the Congo) during their first month of life – Lionel Brazier – Plos one

A longitudinal study of the infant nasopharyngeal microbiota: The effects of age, illness and antibiotic use in a cohort of South East Asian children – Susannah J. Salter – Plos one

Human gut microbiome

Review : Microbiota in digestive cancers: our new partner? – Anthony Lopez – Carcinogenesis

*Review : Impacts of the Human Gut Microbiome on Therapeutics – Yoshiki Vázquez-Baeza – Annual Reviews

Associations between acute gastrointestinal GvHD and the baseline gut microbiota of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and donors – C Liu – Leukemia

Natural polyreactive IgA antibodies coat the intestinal microbiota – Jeffrey J. Bunker – Science

Time of day and eating behaviors are associated with the composition and function of the human gastrointestinal microbiota – Jennifer L Kaczmarek – The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

The Effects of an Environmentally Relevant Level of Arsenic on the Gut Microbiome and its Functional Metagenome – Liang Chi – Toxicological Sciences

Animal experiments

Probiotics modulate gut microbiota and improve insulin sensitivity in DIO mice – Renata A.Bagarolli – The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry

Decaffeinated green and black tea polyphenols decrease weight gain and alter microbiome populations and function in diet-induced obese mice – Susanne M. Henning – European Journal of Nutritional

Repeated Oral Exposure to Nε-Carboxymethyllysine, a Maillard Reaction Product, Alleviates Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Colitic Mice – Nesreen ALJahdali – Digestive Disease Sciences

Comparison of the Luminal and Mucosa-Associated Microbiota in the Colon of Pigs with and without Swine Dysentery – Eric R. Burrough – Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Animal microbiome

Untangling the cecal microbiota of feral chickens by culturomic and metagenomic analyses – Chiara Ferrario – Environmental Microbiology

Bacterial community associated with worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) affected by European foulbrood – Tomas Erban – PeerJ

Comparative characterization of bacterial communities in geese fed all-grass or high-grain diets – Qi Xu – Plos One

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Implication of graphene oxide in Cd-contaminated soil: A case study of bacterial communities – TingXiong – Journal of Environmental Management

Elucidating the microbial community associated with the protein preference of sludge degrading worms – Steef de Valk – Environmental Technology

Bacterial microbiomes of individual ectomycorrhizal Pinus sylvestris roots are shaped by soil horizon and differentially sensitive to nitrogen addition – Srisailam Marupakula – Environmental Microbiology

A comparative study of composting the solid fraction of dairy manure with or without bulking material: performance and microbial community dynamics – Xiao-ZhongZhong -Bioresource Technology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Individual-level trait diversity predicts phytoplankton community properties better than species richness or evenness – Simone Fontana – The ISME Journal

Bacterial community dynamics within an aerobic granular sludge reactor treating wastewater loaded with pharmaceuticals – Catarina L.Amorim – Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Food Microbiology

Chlorogenic acid versus amaranth’s caffeoylisocitric acid – Gut microbial degradation of caffeic acid derivatives – Maren Vollmer – Food Research International

Probiotics / prebiotics

Specific signatures of the gut microbiota and increased levels of butyrate in children treated with fermented cow’s milk containing heat-killed Lactobacillus paracasei CBA L74 – Roberto Berni Canani – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Beneficial effects of a probiotic blend on gastrointestinal side effects induced by leflunomide and amlodipine in a rat model – S.C. Song – Beneficial Microbes

Phages and viruses

Characterization of the human DNA gut virome across populations with different subsistence strategies and geographical origin – Simone Rampelli – Environmental Microbiology

Metabolomics

Identification of phenolic metabolites in human urine after the intake of a functional food made from grape extract by a high resolution LTQ-Orbitrap-MS approach – Gemma Sasot – Food Research International
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996917300297?via%3Dihub

Bioinformatics

A broken promise: microbiome differential abundance methods do not control the false discovery rate – Stijn Hawinkel – Briefings in Bioinformatics
https://academic.oup.com/bib/article/doi/10.1093/bib/bbx104/4091293/A-broken-promise-microbiome-differential-abundance

Metagenomic assembly through the lens of validation: recent advances in assessing and improving the quality of genomes assembled from metagenomes – Nathan D. Olson – Briefings in Bioinformatics

Ananke: temporal clustering reveals ecological dynamics of microbial communities – Michael W. Hall – PeerJ

Detection of Increased Plasma Interleukin-6 Levels and Prevalence of Prevotella copri and Bacteroides vulgatus in the Feces of Type 2 Diabetes Patients – Aline Zazeri Leite – Frontiers in Immunology

k-SLAM: accurate and ultra-fast taxonomic classification and gene identification for large metagenomic data sets – David Ainsworth – Nucleic Acids Research

Techniques

* The impact of recent improvements in cryo-electron microscopy technology on the understanding of bacterial ribosome assembly – Aida Razi – Nucleic acids Research

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

A cold, clear view of life wins chemistry Nobel

Nobel physics prize awards discovery in gravitational waves

Medicine Nobel Prize Goes to Circadian Rhythm Researchers

New portable blood analyzer could improve anemia detection worldwide

Computational study sheds doubt on latest theory of birds’ mysterious magnetic compass

July 26, 2017

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

General microbiome

Microbiome analysis and confocal microscopy of used kitchen sponges reveal massive colonization by Acinetobacter, Moraxella and Chryseobacterium species – Massimiliano Cardinale – Scientific Reports

Review: The mother–offspring dyad: microbial transmission, immune interactions and allergy development – Maria C. Jenmalm – Journal of Internal Medicine

Human skin microbiome

The Skin Microbiome of Cohabiting Couples – Ashley A. Ross – mSystems

Animal microbiome

Influence of Host Plant on Thaumetopoea pityocampa Gut Bacterial Community – Cinzia P. Strano – Microbial Ecology

The time-course of broiler intestinal microbiota development after administration of cecal contents to incubating eggs – Erin E. Donaldson – PeerJ

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Review: Sphingomonads in Microbe-Assisted Phytoremediation: Tackling Soil Pollution – Michael Gatheru Waigi – Trends in Biotechnology

Response of soil microbial community composition and function to a bottomland forest restoration intensity gradient – Michael S. Strickland – Applied Soil Ecology

Changes of soil microbial communities during decomposition of straw residues under different land uses – Hong Zhang – Journal of Arid Land

Water and extremophile microbiome

Metagenomics of urban sewage identifies an extensively shared antibiotic resistome in China – Jian-Qiang Su – Microbiome

An anaerobic ~3400 Ma shallow-water microbial consortium: presumptive evidence of Earth’s Paleoarchean anoxic atmosphere – J. William Schopf – Precambrian Research

Iron oxides alter methanogenic pathways of acetate in production water of high-temperature petroleum reservoir – Pan Pan – Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Food Microbiology

Editorial: Microbiology of Ethnic Fermented Foods and Alcoholic Beverages of the World – Jyoti P. Tamang – Frontiers in Microbiology

Probiotics / prebiotics

Phages and viruses

Review : The Human Virome – Implications for Clinical Practice in Transplantation Medicine – Susanna K. Tan – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

Quantum tunneling takes time, new study shows

Perovskites power up the solar industry

Scientists develop fast chemistry that unlocks a new class of polymers

Medicine’s Movable Feast: What Jumping Genes Can Teach Us about Treating Disease

July 5, 2017

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

General microbiome

Letter to the editor: Introducing the sporobiota and sporobiome – George Tetz – Gut Pathogens

Human oral microbiome

Oropharyngeal and Sputum Microbiomes Are Similar Following Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – Hai-Yue Liu – Frontiers in Microbiology

Human respiratory microbiome

Review: Respiratory microbiota and lower respiratory tract disease – Miguel Lanaspa – Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy

Human gut microbiome

Review: Feeding the microbiota: transducer of nutrient signals for the host – Fergus Shanahan – Gut

Animal microbiome

Early Postnatal Diets Affect the Bioregional Small Intestine Microbiome and Ileal Metabolome in Neonatal Pigs – Brian D Piccolo – The Journal of Nutrition

Variation between the oral and faecal microbiota in a free-living passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major) – Lucie Kropáčková – Plos One

Temperature variation, bacterial diversity, and fungal infection dynamics in the amphibian skin – Ana V. Longo – Molecular Ecology

Early-Life Diet Affects Host Microbiota and Later-Life Defenses Against Parasites in Frogs – Sarah A. Knutie – Integrative & Comparitive Biology

Animal experiments

Relative variations of gut microbiota in disordered cholesterol metabolism caused by high-cholesterol diet and host genetics – Tao Bo – Microbiology Open

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Nutrient and Rainfall Additions Shift Phylogenetically Estimated Traits of Soil Microbial Communities – Kelly Gravuer – Frontiers in Microbiology

Long-term rock phosphate fertilization impacts the microbial communities of maize rhizosphere – Ubiana C. Silva – Frontiers in Microbiology

Global change and the soil microbiome: A human-health perspective – Raúl Ochoa-Hueso – Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

The Impact of Hydration and Temperature on Bacterial Diversity in Arid Soil Mesocosms – Adam Št’ovíček – Frontiers in Microbiology

Contrasting bacterial communities in two indigenous Chionochloa (Poaceae) grassland soils in New Zealand – Jocelyn C. Griffith – Plos One

Water and extremophile microbiome

Bacterial diversity and population shifts driven by spotlight wastewater micropollutants in low-temperature highly nitrifying activated sludge – Antonina Kruglova – JScience of The Total Environment

Probiotics / prebiotics

The potential synergistic behaviour of inter- and intra-genus probiotic combinations in the pattern and rate of short chain fatty acids formation during fibre fermentation – Warnakulasuriya M. A. D. B. Fernando – International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition

Review: Structural features underlying prebiotic activity of conventional and potential prebiotic oligosaccharides in food and health – Subin R. C. K. Rajendran – Journal of Food Biochemistry

Phages and viruses

Case control comparison of enteric viromes in captive rhesus macaques with acute or idiopathic chronic diarrhea – Beatrix Kapusinszky – Journal of Virology

A viral metagenomic approach on a non-metagenomic experiment: Mining next generation sequencing datasets from pig DNA identified several porcine parvoviruses for a retrospective evaluation of viral infections – Samuele Bovo – Plos One

Bioinformatics

Does colorectal cancer significantly influence the assembly of gut microbial communities? – Lin Dai – PeerJ

Review: Using metagenomics to investigate human and environmental resistomes – Johan Bengtsson-Palme – Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

RRmix: A method for simultaneous batch effect correction and analysis of metabolomics data in the absence of internal standards – Stephen Salerno Jr – Plos One

Predicting the ecological quality status of marine environments from eDNA metabarcoding data using supervised machine learning – Tristan Cordier – Environmental Science and Technology

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

AI is changing how we do science. Get a glimpse

Scientists explain ancient Rome’s long-lasting concrete

April 19, 2017

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Exciting papers with locoregional effects of microbiota in a mouse model of colon carcinogenesis, maternal high fat diet detrimentally alterring epigenetic and gut microbiome pathways leading to fatty liver disease in mice.

Events and jobs

ASM Microbe 2017 : New Orleans

QC Microbiology Product Testing Associate – Experis : Irvine, CA
General microbiome

Review: Applying the design-build-test paradigm in microbiome engineering – Hoang Long Pham – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Cohort Profile: African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research’s (ACCME) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer Study – Sally N. Adebamowo – International Journal of Epidemiology

Review: Cultured microbes represent a substantial fraction of the human and mouse gut microbiota – Ilias Lagkouvardos – Gut Microbes

Human skin microbiome

A distinct cutaneous microbiota pofile in autoimmune bullous disease patients – Mor Miodovnika – Experimental Dermatology

Human gut microbiome

Review : A psychology of the human brain–gut–microbiome axis – Andrew P. Allen – Social and Personality Psychology Compass

Multivariate modelling of faecal bacterial profiles of patients with IBS predicts responsiveness to a diet low in FODMAPs – Sean M P Bennet – Gut

Animal microbiome

Temporal changes in cutaneous bacterial communities of terrestrial- and aquatic- phase newts (Amphibia) – Joana Sabino-Pinto – Environmental Microbiology

The low diverse gastric microbiome of the jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata is dominated by four novel taxa – Tomeu Viver – Environmental Microbiology

Studying the effect of administration route and treatment dose on the selection of enrofloxacin resistance in commensal Escherichia coli in broilers – Ilias Chantziaras -Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

The skin microbiome of the Common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) has low taxonomic and potential metabolic β-diversity – Michael P. Doane – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Animal experiments

Intestinal, extra-intestinal and systemic sequelae of Toxoplasma gondii induced acute ileitis in mice harboring a human gut microbiota – Eliane von Klitzing – PLOS ONE

Effects of the inclusion of a Bacillus direct-fed microbial on performance parameters, bone quality, recovered gut microflora, and intestinal morphology in broilers consuming a grower diet containing corn distillers dried grains with solubles – J. D. Latorre – Poultry Science

Effect of high-fat diet and growth stage on the diversity and composition of intestinal microbiota in healthy bovine livestock – Shengyin Jiao – Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

*Locoregional effects of microbiota in a preclinical model of colon carcinogenesis – Sarah Tomkovich – Cancer Research

Selection of Cholesterol-Lowering Lactic Acid Bacteria and its Effects on Rats Fed with High-Cholesterol Diet – Yufang Liu – Current Microbiology

*Enhanced offspring predisposition to steatohepatitis with maternal high-fat diet is associated with epigenetic and microbiome alterations – Umesh D. Wankhade – PLOS ONE

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Archaea and bacteria mediate the effects of native species root loss on fungi during plant invasion – Steven D Mamet- The ISME Journal

An acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing γ-proteobacterium from soil – Masahito Hayatsu – The ISME Journal

Investigation of Arsenotrophic Microbiome in Arsenic-Affected Bangladesh Groundwater – Munawar Sultana – Groundwater

Unexpected associated microalgal diversity in the lichen Ramalina farinacea is uncovered by pyrosequencing analyses – Patricia Moya – Plos ONE

Tuber indicum shapes the microbial communities of ectomycorhizosphere soil and ectomycorrhizae of an indigenous tree (Pinus armandii) – Qiang Li – Plos ONE

The ‘known’ genetic potential for microbial communities to degrade organic phosphorus is reduced in low-pH soils – Ian D. E. A. Lidbury – Microbiology Open

Shifting microbial communities sustain multiyear iron reduction and methanogenesis in ferruginous sediment incubations – M. S. Bray – Gebiology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Discovery of anaerobic lithoheterotrophic haloarchaea, ubiquitous in hypersaline habitats – Dimitry Y Sorokin – The ISME Journal

Cultivation and characterization of Candidatus Nitrosocosmicus exaquare, an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon from a municipal wastewater treatment system – Laura A Sauder – The ISME Journal

Minireview: Microbial ecology of mountain glacier ecosystems: Biodiversity, ecological connections, and implications of a warming climate – Scott Hotaling – Environmental Microbiology

Probiotics / prebiotics
Colonic gas homeostasis: Mechanisms of adaptation following HOST-G904 galactooligosaccharide use in humans – M. Mego – Neurogastroenterology and Motility

Techniques

Stochastically reduced communities—Microfluidic compartments as model and investigation tool for soil microorganism growth in structured spaces – Jialan Cao – Engineering in Life Sciences

Protocol : Metagenomics and CAZyme Discovery – Benoit J. Kunath – Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions : Methods in Molecular Biology

The resident microflora of voided midstream urine of healthy controls: standard versus expanded urine culture protocols – L. Coorevits – European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

Microbes in the news

Study finds amoeba ‘grazing,’ killing bacteria usually protected by film

How Bacteria-Laden Beetle Poop Is Killing American Squash and Melons

Glowing bacteria detect buried landmines

Science, publishing, and career

Saturday, Science Advocates Prepare for a Long March

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

Research unlocks molecular key to animal evolution and disease

Cumulative culture can emerge from collective intelligence in animal groups – Takao Sasaki – Nature Communications

April 5, 2017

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Today’s digest features interesting research on the dynamic microbiome evolution in social bees and the alteration in quorum Sensing, cell motility, stress Response, and carbohydrate metabolism of gut microbiome by the organophosphate pesticide Diazinon. Low dose penicillin in early life can induce long term changes in mice gut microbiota, brain cytokines and behavior. Interesting reviews on the microbiome and human biology, and role of gut microbiota in the development of hypertension, including that associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

General microbiome

*Review: The Microbiome and Human Biology – Rob Knight – Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics

*Dynamic microbiome evolution in social bees – Waldan K. Kwong – Science Advances

Anaerobic Bacterial Fermentation Products Increase Tuberculosis Risk in Antiretroviral-Drug-Treated HIV – Leopoldo N. Segal – Cell Host & Microbe

Pregnancy and early life

Vancomycin treatment is a risk factor for vancomycin-nonsusceptible Staphylococcus capitis sepsis in preterm neonates – Marine Butin – Clinical Microbiology and Infection

Human oral microbiome

Relative abundance of total subgingival plaque-specific bacteria in salivary microbiota reflects the overall periodontal condition in patients with periodontitis – Shinya Kageyama – Plos One

Review: Biofilm over teeth and restorations: What do we need to know? – Nancy J. Lin – Dental Materials

Human skin microbiome

Cutaneous Burn Injury Promotes Shifts in the Bacterial Microbiome in Autologous Donor Skin: Implications for Skin Grafting Outcomes – Jennifer K. Plichta – Shock

Human gut microbiome

Review : The gut microbiota: a possible factor influencing systemic lupus erythematosus – Hadar Neuman – Current Opinion in Rheumatology

*Organophosphate Diazinon Altered Quorum Sensing, Cell Motility, Stress Response, and Carbohydrate Metabolism of Gut Microbiome – Bei Gao -Toxicological Sciences

Baseline gut microbiota predicts clinical response and colitis in metastatic melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab – N. Chaput – Oncology

*Review: Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Induced Hypertension: Role of the Gut Microbiota – David J. Durgan – Current Hypertension Reports

Review: The Gut Microbiota and Alzheimer’s Disease – Chunmei Jiang – Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Patients with Blood Disorders Inhibits Gut Colonization with Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: Results of a Prospective, Single-Center Study – Jaroslaw Bilinski – Clinical Infectious Diseases

Animal microbiome

Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals a Correlation between the Host Phylogeny, Gut Microbiota and Metabolite Profiles in Cyprinid Fishes – Tongtong Li – Frontiers in Microbiology

Diurnal Dynamics of Gaseous and Dissolved Metabolites and Microbiota Composition in the Bovine Rumen – Henk J. van Lingen – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbial Biogeography and Core Microbiota of the Rat Digestive Tract – Dongyao Li – Scientific Reports

Animal experiments

Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiota confer resilience to chronic social defeat stress in mice – Chun Yang – Scientific Reports

Lack of Evidence That Selenium-Yeast Improves Chicken Health and Modulates the Caecal Microbiota in the Context of Colonization by Campylobacter jejuni – Alexandre Thibodeau – Frontiers in Microbiology

Review : Outstanding animal studies in allergy II: from atopic barrier and microbiome to allergen-specific immunotherapy – Erika Jensen-Jarolim – Current Opinion in Allergy & Clinical Immunology

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii treatment improves hepatic health and reduces adipose tissue inflammation in high-fat fed mice – Eveliina Munukka – ISME Journal

*Low-dose penicillin in early life induces long-term changes in murine gut microbiota, brain cytokines and behavior – Sophie Leclercq – Nature Communications

Nod2 and Nod2-regulated microbiota protect BALB/c mice from diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction – Ivan Rodriguez-Nunez – Scientific Reports

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Aluminum-tolerant bacteria improve the plant growth and phosphorus content in ryegrass grown in a volcanic soil amended with cattle dung manure – María de la Luz Mora- Applied Soil Ecology

Invisible but consequential: root endophytic fungi have variable effects on belowground plant–insect interactions – Huyijuie Gan – Ecosphere

Land-use types and soil chemical properties influence soil microbial communities in the semiarid Loess Plateau region in China – Qin Tian – Scientific Reports

Phylogenetic conservation of substrate use specialization in leaf litter bacteria – Kristin L. Dolan – Plos ONE

Root biomass and exudates link plant diversity with soil bacterial and fungal biomass – Nico Eisenhauer – Scientific Reports

Water and extremophile microbiome

Discrimination of Four Marine Biofilm-Forming Bacteria by LC-MS Metabolomics and Influence of Culture Parameters – Laurie Favre – Journal of Proteome Research

Iron assimilation and utilization in anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria – Christina Ferousi – Current Opinion in Chemical Biology

*Potential sources of bacteria colonizing the cryoconite of an Alpine glacier – Andrea Franzetti – PLOS ONE

Spatio-Temporal Variations of Marine Biofilm Communities Colonizing Artificial Substrata Including Antifouling Coatings in Contrasted French Coastal Environments – Jean-François Briand – Microbial Ecology

Metabolomics

Review: Metabolomics: Strategies to Define the Role of Metabolism in Virus Infection and Pathogenesis – Marianne Manchester – Advances in Virus Research

Effect of Major Royal Jelly Proteins on Spatial Memory in Aged Rats: Metabolomics Analysis in Urine – Di Chen -Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Food microbiology

Sourdough authentication: quantitative PCR to detect the lactic acid bacterial microbiota in breads – Erica Pontonio – Scientific Reports

Probiotics / prebiotics

Evaluation of Potential Probiotics Isolated from Human Milk and Colostrum – Quésia S. Damaceno – Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins

Bioinformatics

SLIMM: species level identification of microorganisms from metagenomes – Temesgen Hailemariam Dadi – PeerJ

Techniques

Advantages of genome sequencing by long-read sequencer using SMRT technology in medical area – Kazuma Nakano – Human Cell

High-pressure microscopy for tracking dynamic properties of molecular machines – Masayoshi Nishiyama – Biophysical Chemistry

Gut Microbiome Standardization in Control and Experimental Mice – Kathy D. McCoy – Current Protocols in Immunology

Diastereomer-specific Quantification of Bioactive Hexosylceramides from Bacteria and Mammals – Johanna von Gerichten – Journal of Lipid Research

Microbes in the news

Genetically engineered microbes make their own fertilizer, could feed the world’s poorest

The Next Plague (5) Bacteria: The Coming And Going And Coming Again Of Bacterial Plagues

Latest Helicobacter pylori breakthrough could lead to eradication of bacteria

Science, publishing, and career

Journal editor calls for ‘culture change’ around clinical trial data

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

In the quest of Planet 9

March 22, 2017

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Today’s digest features interesting review articles on the role of microbiome in health and disease, heart failure, and how the respiratory tract microbiota act as gatekeepers to respiratory health. Also, we have original research articles on the response of bacterial communities in oil-contaminated marine waters to addition of chemical and biological dispersants. Also, a very fascinating article in Harvard Business review on the gender bias against junior female scientists. Not surprising!! Enjoy.

General microbiome

*Review: The role of the microbiome in human health and disease: an introduction for clinicians – Vincent B Young – British Medical Journal

*Review: Targeting the Microbiome in Heart Failure – Allyson Zabell – Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine

Gastric microbiota features associated with cancer risk factors and clinical outcomes: A pilot study in gastric cardia cancer patients from Shanxi, China – Guoqin Yu – international Journal of Cancer

Pregnancy and early life

Late preterm birth has direct and indirect effects on infant gut microbiota development during the first six months of life – M Forsgren – Acta Pediatrica

Vaginal microbiome

Characterization of vaginal Lactobacillus species by rplK -based multiplex qPCR in Russian women – Vladimir V. Demkin – Anaerobe

Human oral microbiome

Changes in salivary microbiota increase volatile sulfur compounds production in healthy male subjects with academic-related chronic stress – Bruno Dias Nani – Plos One

Candida albicans biofilm heterogeneity does not influence denture stomatitis but strongly influences denture cleansing capacity – Lindsay E. O’Donnell – Journal of Medical Microbiology

Oral Bacterial Infections : Diagnosis and Management – Glendee Reynolds-Campbell – Dental Clinics of North America

Human respiratory microbiome

*The microbiota of the respiratory tract: gatekeeper to respiratory health – Wing Ho Man – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Human gut microbiome

Editorial : Infant colic is still a mysterious disorder of the microbiota–gut–brain axis – Anna Pärtty – Acta Pediatrica

Review: More Flavor for Flavonoid-Based Interventions? – Nadeem O. Kaakoush – Trends in Molecular Medicine

Perspectives : New Frontiers in Fibers: Innovative and Emerging Research on the Gut Microbiome and Bone Health – Taylor C. Wallace – Journal of the American College of Nutrition

Does the Gut Microbiota Influence Immunity and Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis Pathophysiology? – Monika Adamczyk-Sowa – Journal of Immunology Research

The Role of Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase in Inflammatory Disorders of Gastrointestinal Tract – Jan Bilski – Mediators of Inflammation

The Gut Microbiome, Energy Homeostasis, and Implications for Hypertension – Ruth A. Riedl – Current Hypertension Reports

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

Commentary: A proposed definition of microbiota transplantation for regulatory purposes – Diane E. Hoffmann – Gut Microbes

Review: Novel Indications for Fecal Microbial Transplantation: Update and Review of the Literature – Nathaniel Aviv Cohen – Digestive Diseases and Sciences

Animal microbiome

Review: Role of the microbiome in swine respiratory disease – Megan C. Niederwerder – Veterinary Microbiology

Comparative composition, diversity, and abundance of oligosaccharides in early lactation milk from commercial dairy and beef cows – William M. Sischo – Journal of Dairy Science

Comparative analysis of fecal microbial communities in cattle and Bactrian camels – Liang Ming – Plos One

Sheep fed with banana leaf hay reduce ruminal protozoa population – Cláudio Eduardo Silva Freitas – Tropical Animal Health and Production

Metabolomics

Review: Metabolomic-guided discovery of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers from body fluid – Che Nor Adlia Enche Ady – Journal of Neuroscience Research

Animal experiments

The farming environment protects mice from allergen-induced skin contact hypersensitivity – C. P. Frossard – Clinical and Experimental Allergy

Metabolomics insights into diabetes nephropathy and protective effects of Radix Scutellariae on rats using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry – Lihui Men – RSC Advances

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Root plant growth promoting rhizobacteria inoculations increase ferric chelate reductase (FC-R) activity and Fe nutrition in pear under calcareous soil conditions – Muzaffer İpek – Scientia Horticulturae

Bacterial diversity of the rhizosphere and nearby surface soil of rice (Oryza sativa) growing in the Camargue (France) – Jorge R. Osman – Rhizosphere

Structure and function of the bacterial communities during rhizoremediation of hexachlorobenzene in constructed wetlands – Cuiping Zhang – Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Water and extremophile microbiome
Characterization of spatial distribution of the bacterial community in the South Sea of Korea – Ji-Hui Seo – Plos One

Diversity and community structure of cyanobacteria and other microbes in recycling irrigation reservoirs – Ping Kong – Plos One

*Response of the bacterial community in oil-contaminated marine water to the addition of chemical and biological dispersants – Camila Rattes de Almeida Couto – Journal of Environmental Management

Probiotics / prebiotics

Lactobacillus johnsonii supplementation attenuates respiratory viral infection via metabolic reprogramming and immune cell modulation – W. Fonseca- Mucosal Immunology

Identification of the key excreted molecule by Lactobacillus fermentum related to host iron absorption – Ana González – Food Chemistry

Effect of 8-weeks prebiotics/probiotics supplementation on alcohol metabolism and blood biomarkers of healthy adults: a pilot study – Christopher Irwin – European Journal of Nutrition

Bioinformatics

Making big data smart—how to use metagenomics to understand soil quality – Gisle Vestergaard – Biology and Fertility of Soils

Techniques

SILVA, RDP, Greengenes, NCBI and OTT — how do these taxonomies compare? – Monika Balvočiūtė – BMC Genomics

Comparative evaluation of four bacteria-specific primer pairs for 16S rRNA gene surveys – Sofie Thijs – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Asthma: Researchers discover how exposure to microbes protects against asthma

Rainy Day? Microbes May Be at Play

Building A Brewery, Chapter 4: For the Love of Microbes

Science, publishing, and career

*Junior Female Scientists Aren’t Getting the Credit They Deserve “despite evidence that women on average, may perform better than men in early stage of their careers”

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

How Pluto’s haze could explain its red spots

Cancer cells cast a sweet spell on the immune system

Actinide chemistry expands to new oxidation states

March 1, 2017

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Today’s digest features interesting reviews on the tole of gut microbiota in chronic kidney disease, and biotoxicity of soils from Mars. Impact of altered gut microbiota on bone strength in mice. Enjoy!

Events and jobs

Technical Service Representative (Microbiology) – ThermoFisher Scientific – Lenexa, Kansas

General microbiome

Review: Microbe social skill: the cell-to-cell communication between microorganisms – Xi Zhao – Science Bulletin

Review: Creating new business, economic growth and regional prosperity through microbiome-based products in the agriculture industry – Brajesh K. Singh – Microbial Biotechnology

Review: The link between inflammation, bugs, the intestine and the brain in alcohol dependence – S Leclercq – Translational Psychiatry

Editorial: The human microbiome: an emerging tool in forensics – Jarrad T. Hampton-Marcell – Microbial Biotechnology

Systematic Characterization and Analysis of the Taxonomic Drivers of Functional Shifts in the Human Microbiome – Ohad Manor – Cell Host and Microbe

Pregnancy and early life

Review: Transfer of maternal psychosocial stress to the fetus – Florian Rakers – Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Vaginal microbiome

Survival of vaginal microorganisms in three commercially available transport systems – Allison L. DeMarco – Anaerobe

Human skin microbiome

Review: Towards personalized modification of microbial imbalances – J.E.E. Totté – British Journal of Dermatology

Human gut microbiome

Review: Meta-analysis of the human gut microbiome from urbanized and pre-agricultural populations – Leonardo Mancabelli – Environmental Microbiology

*Review: Gut microbiota in chronic kidney disease – Secundino Cigarran Guldris – Nefrología (English Edition)

Review: The clinical value of breath hydrogen testing – Chu K Yao – Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Commentary: Atopic dermatitis and gut microbiota – M. Lindberg – British Journal of Dermatology

Animal experiments

SYN-004 (ribaxamase), an Oral Beta-Lactamase, Mitigates Antibiotic-Mediated Dysbiosis in a Porcine Gut Microbiome Model – Sheila Connelly – Journal of Applied Microbiology

*Alterations to the Gut Microbiome Impair Bone Strength and Tissue Material Properties – Jason D Guss – Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

*Biotoxicity of Mars Soils: 2. Survival of Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis in Aqueous Extracts Derived from Six Mars Analog Soils – Andrew C. Schuerger – Icarus

Food microbiology

Polyphenolic extracts of cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) and blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) leaves as natural preservatives in meat products – Agnieszka Nowak – Food Microbiology

Probiotics / prebiotics

Effects of synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and muscular antioxidant capacity and mineral contents in broilers – Yefei Cheng – Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

GH11 xylanase increases prebiotic oligosaccharides from wheat bran favouring butyrate-producing bacteria in vitro – Jonas Laukkonen Ravn – Animal Feed Science and Technology

Effects of Bacillus subtilis strains and the prebiotic Previda® on growth, immune parameters and susceptibility to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus – Samuel Addo – Aquaculture Research

Enhancing growth and resistance to Vibrio alginolyticus disease in catarina scallop (Argopecten ventricosus) with Bacillus and Lactobacillus probiotic strains during early development – Fernando Abasolo-Pacheco – Aquaculture Research

The association of a probiotic with a prebiotic (Flortec, Bracco) to improve the quality/quantity of spermatozoa in infertile patients with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia: a pilot study – C. Maretti – Andrology

In vitro fermentation of oat β-glucan and hydrolysates by fecal microbiota and selected probiotic strains – Dong Ji-lin – Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

Microbes in the news

WHO: These 12 bacteria pose greatest risk to human health

A Bizarre Bacteria Could Be the Key to Controlling Mosquitoes

Flesh-eating bugs lurking on ATMs and killer bacteria found on phones

Microbes on the market

Proof-of-Concept Study Published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection Reports the Benefit of PathoQuest NGS-Based Metagenomics Test to Identify Clinically-Relevant Pathogens in Immunocompromised Patients Suspected of Infection

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

Glass Microbiology at the At-Bristol Science Centre

Mysterious ‘Cosmic’ Jellyfish Spotted in Remote Ocean Depths

Unity Biotechnology: Investment In A Long And Healthy Life Becoming Possible

February 23, 2017

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Today’s selection includes an interesting review on how bacteria keep their time. Long term ceftriaxon sodium usage alters gut microbiota and immune system. Clostridium perfringens toxin genes in the gut microbiota of autistic children. Taxonomic and functional microbial communities of seawater and sea ice from the Canadian Arctic. Enjoy!

General microbiome

Distinct signatures of dental plaque metabolic byproducts dictated by periodontal inflammatory status. – Akito Sakanaka – Scientific Reports

*Review: Timing the day: what makes bacterial clocks tick? – Carl Hirschie Johnson – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Human urinary microbiome

Review: The female urinary microbiota, urinary health and common urinary disorders. – Linda Brubaker – Annals of Translational Medicine

Review: Questions and challenges associated with studying the microbiome of the urinary tract – Yige Bao – Annals of Translational Medicine

Review: The association between bacteria and urinary stones. – Andrew L. Schwaderer – Annals of Translational Medicine

Human nearly-sterile sites

The Conserved Phylogeny of Blood Microbiome – Malay Bhattacharyya – Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

Human gut microbiome

Review: The gut microbiome in human neurological disease: A review. – Helen Tremlett – Annals of Neurology

Review: Gut microbiome-based medical methodologies for early-stage disease prevention – Jing-Zhang Wang – Microbial Pathogenesis

Review: Gut microbiome and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. – Hans C. Arora – Annals of Translational Medicine

*Long-term use of ceftriaxone sodium induced changes in gut microbiota and immune system. – Yanjie Guo – Scientific Reports

Note Elies Bik: This study was not performed in humans but in a horrible rat model that can only be qualified as torture. This does not test for depression but for extreme stress. Should not have performed. Proceed with extreme caution. Variations in gut microbiota and fecal metabolic phenotype associated with depression by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and LC/MS-based metabolomics. – Meng Yu – Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

Specific inulin-type fructan fibers protect against autoimmune diabetes by modulating gut immunity, barrier function and microbiota homeostasis. – Kang Chen – Molecular Nutrition and Food Research

Gut microbiota and oxalate homeostasis. – Marguerite Hatch – Annals of Translational Medicine

Tryptophan: A gut microbiota-derived metabolites regulating inflammation. – Lucie Etienne-Mesmin – World Journal of Gastrointestestinal Pharmacology

*Detection of Clostridium perfringens toxin genes in the gut microbiota of autistic children. – Sydney M. Finegold – Anaerobe

Animal experiments

Butyrate restores HFD induced adaptations in brain function and metabolism in mid-adult obese mice – Ilse A. C. Arnoldussen – International Journal of Obesity

Toxin-positive Clostridium difficile latently infect mouse colonies and protect against highly pathogenic C. difficile. – Lucie Etienne-Mesmin – Gut

Animal microbiome

Individual Signatures Define Canine Skin Microbiota Composition and Variability. – Anna Cuscó – Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Differential sharing and distinct co-occurrence networks among spatially close bacterial microbiota of bark, mosses and lichens‬‬. – Ines Aline Aschenbrenner – Molecular Ecology

Links between soil microbial communities and plant traits in a species-rich grassland under long-term climate change. – Lin Li – Ecology and Evolution

Water and extremophile microbiome

*Metagenomic survey of the taxonomic and functional microbial communities of seawater and sea ice from the Canadian Arctic. – Etienne Yergeau – Scientific Reports

High-resolution sequencing reveals unexplored archaeal diversity in freshwater wetland soils. – Adrienne Narrowe – Environmental Microbiology

Food microbiology

Enhanced Control of Listeria monocytogenes by Enterococcus faecium KE82, a Multiple Enterocin–Producing Strain, in Different Milk Environments. – Elpinki Vandera – Journal of food protection

Probiotics / prebiotics

Review: Probiotics for prevention of urinary stones. – John C. Lieske – Annals of Translational Medicine

Review: Review of the mechanisms of probiotic actions in the prevention of colorectal cancer. – Sandra A. dos Reis – Nutrition Research

Phages and viruses

The Baltic Sea Virome: Diversity and Transcriptional Activity of DNA and RNA Viruses – Lisa Zeigler Allen – mSystems

Microbes in the news

The Future Of Skin Care: Lotions That Feed Our Microbiome

Collapse of Aztec society linked to catastrophic salmonella outbreak

Smart’ bacteria remodel their genes to infect our intestines

Smallest CRISPR So Far Comes from Food Poisoning Bacteria

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

An epigenetics gold rush: new controls for gene expression

Scientists discover 7 ‘Earthlike’ planets orbiting a nearby star

February 10, 2017

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Today’s digest features fascinating research articles on the potential of glycomacropeptide in modulating human gut microbiota of elderly, identifying IBD-like microbiome in at-risk healthy relatives of IBD patients with no clinical signs of inflammation, long-term climate change affects soil microbial communities and a reviews on the potential role of transglutaminases in autoimmunity.

General microbiome

Comparative study of the gut microbiome potentially related to milk protein in Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) and Chinese Holstein cattle – Jiachao Zhang – Scientific Reports

The microbiome of the octocoral Lobophytum pauciflorum: minor differences between sexes and resilience to short-term stress – Wiebke Wessels – FEMS Microbiol Ecology

Microbiomic differences in tumor and paired-normal tissue in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas – Hannah Wang- Genome Medicine

Microbiota composition of simultaneously colonized mice housed under either a gnotobiotic isolator or individually ventilated cage regime – Randi Lundberg – Scientific Reports

Microbial strain-level population structure and genetic diversity from metagenomes – Duy Tin Truong – Genome Research

*Review: Transglutaminases in Dysbiosis As Potential Environmental Drivers of Autoimmunity – Aaron Lerner- Frontiers in Microbiology

Pregnancy and early life

Perspective: The maternal microbiome: Cause or consequence of obesity risk in the next generation? – Jacob E. Friedman – Obesity

Review: Charting the Maternal and Infant Microbiome: What Is the Role of Diabetes and Obesity in Pregnancy? – Sirtaj Singh – Current Diabetes Reports

Human skin microbiome

Skin Microbiome in Small- and Large-plaque Parapsoriasis – Alexander Salava – Acta Dermato-Venereologica

Human gut microbiome

*Glycomacropeptide sustains microbiota diversity and promotes specific taxa in an artificial colon model of elderly gut microbiota – Alexandra Ntemiri – Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

A Disease-Associated Microbial and Metabolomics State in Relatives of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients – Jonathan P. Jacobs – Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Comparative study on the in vitro effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and seaweed alginates on human gut microbiota – Shaofeng Bai – PLOS ONE

Review: Gut microbiota modulation and anti-inflammatory properties of dietary polyphenols in IBD: new and consolidated perspectives. – Angelo Santino – Current Pharmaceutical Design

Animal experiments

Changes in Microbiota in Rumen Digesta and Feces Due to a Grain-Based Subacute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) Challenge – Jan C. Plaizier – Microbial Ecology

A maternal Western diet during gestation and lactation modifies offspring’s microbiota activity, blood lipid levels, cognitive responses, and hippocampal neurogenesis in Yucatan pigs – David Val-Laillet – FASEB Journal

Animal microbiome

Bacterial community composition and fermentation in the rumen of Xinjiang brown cattle (Bos taurus), Tarim red deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis), and Karakul sheep (Ovis aries) – Wenxi Qian – Canadian Journal of Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Plants Assemble Species Specific Bacterial Communities from Common Core Taxa in Three Arcto-Alpine Climate Zones – Manoj Kumar – Frontiers in Microbiology

*Links between soil microbial communities and plant traits in a species-rich grassland under long-term climate change – Emma J. Sayer – Ecology and Evolution

Specificity of root microbiomes in native-grown Nicotiana attenuata and plant responses to UVB increase Deinococcus colonization – Rakesh Santhanam – Molecular Ecology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Metagenomic survey of the taxonomic and functional microbial communities of seawater and sea ice from the Canadian Arctic – Etienne Yergeau – Scientific Reports

Phages and viruses

Things Are Getting Hairy: Enterobacteria Bacteriophage vB_PcaM_CBB – Colin Buttimer – Frontiers in Microbiology

Techniques

Successive DNA extractions improve characterization of soil microbial communities – Mauricio R. Dimitrov – PeerJ

Microbes in the news

Bacteria fed synthetic iron-containing molecules turn into electrical generators

Method to identify bacteria in blood samples works in hours instead of days

Characterizing Cervical Cancer by HPV Strain, Mutations, and Molecular Features

Phage In The Time Of Cholera

An Innovative New Cancer Therapy Hijacks Bacteria to Fight Tumors

Microbes on the market

Chan Zuckerberg Biohub funds first crop of 47 investigators

Anitha’s non-microbiology picks

Could this pollinating drone replace butterflies and bees?

The physics of why valve amps sound better

Circuits survive on Venus, electronics powered by stomach acid

January 27, 2016

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Anitha Isaiah

Reviews on prenatal bacterial microbiota, mycobiome in the lower respiratory tract and interesting articles on association of HPV infection with vaginal microbiota; prebiotic and bioactive milk fraction improving NREM sleep.

General microbiome

Distinguishing potential bacteria-tumor associations from contamination in a secondary data analysis of public cancer genome sequence data – Kelly M. Robinson – Microbiome

Pregnancy and early life

*Review: Does a prenatal bacterial microbiota exist? – M Hornef -Mucosal Immunology

Human respiratory microbiome

*Review: Mycobiome in the Lower Respiratory Tract – A Clinical Perspective – Robert Krause- Frontiers in microbiology

Human vaginal microbiome

*Association of HPV infection and clearance with cervicovaginal immunology and the vaginal microbiota – B Shannon – Mucosal Immunology

Human gut microbiome

Review: Advances in Gut Microbiome Research, Opening New Strategies to Cope with a Western Lifestyle – Gina P. Rodriguez-Castaño – Frontiers in Genetics

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with an altered gastric microbiota in children – K M Brawner – Mucosal Immunology

*Colonic Absorption of Low-Molecular-Weight Metabolites Influenced by the Intestinal Microbiome: A Pilot Study – Mitsuharu Matsumoto – PLoS One