January 25, 2017

Joint opinion on measures by the EU to reduce antimicrobial agents in animal husbandry, diet changes the gut microbiome of dogs, and synthetic chemicals might drive global climate change.

Jobs

PhD Position: THE ROLE OF THE GUT MICROBIOME IN LIVER DISEASE: DEVELOPMENT Of BIOINFORMATIC APPROACHES TO IDENTIFY, CHARACTERISE AND ANALYSE THE GUT VIROME – KU Leuven

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway

Microbiology Supervisor – Clinical Pathology Laboratories, Inc

General microbiology and policy

Artificial bacteria: A semisynthetic organism engineered for the stable expansion of the genetic alphabet – Yorke Zhang – PNAS

Policy opinions: EMA and EFSA Joint Scientific Opinion on measures to reduce the need to use antimicrobial agents in animal husbandry in the European Union, and the resulting impacts on food safety (RONAFA) – CVMP and BIOHAZ – EFSA Journal

Acid-suppression medications and bacterial gastroenteritis: a population-based cohort study – Wei Li – british journal of clinical pharmacology

Animal experiments

Effects of the Dietary Protein and Carbohydrate Ratio on Gut Microbiomes in Dogs of Different Body Conditions – Qinghong Li – mBio

Water and extremophile microbiome

Novel Primer Sets for Next Generation Sequencing-Based Analyses of Water Quality – Elvina Lee – PLoS One

Evaluation of Methods for the Concentration and Extraction of Viruses from Sewage in the Context of Metagenomic Sequencing – Mathis Hjort Hjelmsø – PLoS One

Phages and viruses

FRNA Bacteriophages as Viral Indicators of Faecal Contamination in Mexican Tropical Aquatic Systems – Luis Jose Rene Arredondo-Hernandez – PLoS One

The Complete Genome Sequence of a Second Distinct Betabaculovirus from the True Armyworm, Mythimna unipuncta – Robert L. Harrison – PLoS One

Characterization and Genetic Variation of Vibrio cholerae Isolated from Clinical and Environmental Sources in Thailand – Achiraya Siriphap – PLoS One

Bioinformatics

Comparing and Evaluating Metagenome Assembly Tools from a Microbiologist’s Perspective – Not Only Size Matters! – John Vollmers – PLoS One

Microbes in the news

Study: Babies’ Microbiomes Indifferent to Mode of Delivery – Kerry Grens – The Scientist

About FishTaco: Microbiome as complex as previously thought – Julian Harris – PHG Foundation

Auckland’s water shock: Bacteria levels ‘dangerously high’ – NZ Herald

For healthier buildings, just add bacteria? – Ed Yong – Ted

Xin’s non-microbiology pick

Synthetic chemicals as agents of global change – Emily S Bernhardt – Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

January 22, 2017

Events and Jobs

PhD scholarship in Molecular Microbiology– University of Copenhagen-Last Date: February 8, 2017

Quality Control Associate-MicrobiologyUS-CA-Del Mar

General Microbiome

Impacts of chemical gradients on microbial community structure-Jianwei Chen-The ISME Journal

Human Skin

Proteomic and peptidomic analysis of human sweat with emphasis on proteolysis-Yijing Yu-Journal of Proteomics

Human Respiratory Microbiome

Nasopharyngeal Microbiome Diversity Changes over Time in Children with AsthmaMarcos Pérez-Losada-PLOS One

Adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to cystic fibrosis buccal epithelial cellsMeike Lingner-ERJ

Human Vaginal Microbiome

The interaction between vaginal microbiota, cervical length, and vaginal progesterone treatment for preterm birth risk-Lindsay M. Kindinger-Microbiome

Human Gut Microbiome

Role of Gastrointestinal Microbiota on Kidney Injury and the Obese Condition-Keerati Wanchai-The American Journal of the Medical Sciences

Review-Altered Molecular Signature of Intestinal Microbiota in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients Compared with Healthy Controls: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis-Hai Ning Liu-Digestive and Liver Disease

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

The Gut Microbiome of the Vector Lutzomyia longipalpis Is Essential for Survival of Leishmania infantumStephen M. Beverley-mBio

The normal vaginal and uterine bacterial microbiome in giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)-Xin Yang-Microbiological Research

Pathogen-mediated manipulation of arthropod microbiota to promote infectionNabil M. Abraham-PNAS

The gastrointestinal tract of farmed mink (Neovison vison) maintains a diverse mucosa-associated microbiota following a 3-day fasting period-Martin I. Bahl-Microbiology Open

Ovarian cycling and reproductive state shape the vaginal microbiota in wild baboonsElizabeth A. Miller-BMC Microbiome

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

A decade of irrigation transforms the soil microbiome of a semi-arid pine forest-Martin Hartmann-Molecular Ecology

Methane Emissions and Microbial Communities as Influenced by Dual Cropping of Azolla along with Early Rice-Jingna Liu-Scientific Reports

Differential responses of soil bacterial communities to long-term N and P inputs in a semi-arid steppe-Ning Ling-Geoderma

Mineralization of “non-metabolizable” glucose analogues in soil: potential chemosensory mimics of glucose-Kyle Mason-Jones-Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science

Deciphering composition and function of the root microbiome of a legume plant-Kyle Hartman-BMC Microbiome

Isolation and characterization of Rhizobium sp. strain YS-1r that degrades lignin in plant biomass-Colin A. Jackson-Journal of Applied Microbiology

Metagenomic insights into effects of spent engine oil perturbation on the microbial community composition and function in a tropical agricultural soilLateef B. Salam-Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Biocontrol effects of Brevibacillus laterosporus AMCC100017 on potato common scab and its impact on rhizosphere bacterial communities-Shengfu Chen-Biological Control

Co-inoculation with Enterobacter and Rhizobacteria on Yield and Nutrient Uptake by Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Alluvial Soil Under Indo-Gangetic Plain of India-Ashok Kumar-Journal of Plant Growth Regulation

 Ornamental flowers in new light: Artificial lighting shapes the microbial phyllosphere community structure of greenhouse grown sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.)Beatrix W. AlsaniusScientia Horticulturae

Extremophiles

Phylogenomics of Rhodobacteraceae reveals evolutionary adaptation to marine and non-marine habitats-Meinhard Simon-ISME

Review: Marine Bacterioplankton Seasonal Succession Dynamics-Carina Bunse-Trends in Microbiology

Review: Stress response physiology of thermophilesPreeti Ranawat-Archives of Microbiology

The pangenome of (Antarctic) Pseudoalteromonas bacteria: evolutionary and functional insights-Emanuele Bosi-BMC Genomics

Sulfur compound oxidation and carbon co-assimilation in the haloalkaliphilic sulfur oxidizers Thioalkalivibrio versutus and Thioalkalimicrobium aerophilum-Wee Kiong Ang-Research in Microbiology

Geological and Geochemical Controls on Subsurface Microbial Life in the Samail Ophiolite, OmanKaitlin R. Rempfert-Extreme Microbiology

Microbial character related sulfur cycle under dynamic environmental factors based on the microbial population analysis in sewerage system-Qian Dong-Aquatic Microbiology

Similar community assembly mechanisms underlie similar biogeography of rare and abundant bacteria in lakes on Yungui Plateau, China-Jingqiu Liao-Limnology and Oceanography

Unraveling the microbial processes of black band disease in corals through integrated genomics-Yui Sato-Scientific Reports

Preliminary Phylogenetic Analysis of Thermophilic Bacteria Producing Protease isolated from Kuantan Malaysia -Essam A. Makky-JBSR

Identification of a novel fatty acid in the cell membrane of Chryseobacterium frigidisoli PB4T isolated from an East Antarctic glacier forefield-Kai Mangelsdorf-Organic Geochemistry

Phosphorus removal by marine bacterium enhanced with iron in the presence of siliconYanru Wang-Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology

 Built Environment Microbiology

Developing Evidence-based Tools for Designing and Evaluating Hospital Inpatient RoomsXiaobo Quan-Journal of Interior Design

Building-related symptoms are linked to the in vitro toxicity of indoor dust and airborne microbial propagules in schools: A cross-sectional study-J T Salin-Environmental Research

Techniques

Review:  Application of meta-omics techniques to understand greenhouse gas emissions originating from ruminal metabolism-Robert J. Wallace-Genetics Selection Evolution

Balance Trees Reveal Microbial Niche DifferentiationJames T. Morton-Ecological and Evolutionary Science

Virus

Review: Virus–host interactions and their roles in coral reef health and diseaseRebecca Vega Thurber-Nature Reviews Microbiology

Virome of US bovine calf serum-Mohammadreza Sadeghi-Biologicals

More Microbes

Bacillus zeae sp. nov. isolated from the rhizosphere of Zea maysPeter Kämpfer-International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

Microbes in News

Capnophilic Enterobacteriaceae-JM. Sahuquillo Arce-Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease

January 18, 2017

Biogeographical patterns and assembly processes of bacterial on glaciers. And, a critical review of interactions between central nervous system and microbiota during health and neurological disease.

● Hospital microbiome

Microbiota-targeted therapies on the intensive care unit. Haak, BW . Current opinions in Critical Care

● Human microbiome and nervous system

Review: Interactions between the microbiota, immune and nervous systems in health and disease. Thomas C Fung.Nature Neuroscience

● Human gut microbiome

A fibrolytic potential in the human ileum mucosal microbiota revealed by functional metagenomic. Patrascu O. Scientific Report

Fecal microbiota transplantation to fight Clostridium difficile infections and other intestinal diseases. Moelling, K. Bacteriophage

● Animal experiments 

Pepsin egg white hydrolysate modulates gut microbiota in Zucker obese rats. Requena T. Food & Function

Effect of early antibiotic administration on cecal bacterial communities and their metabolic profiles in pigs fed diets with different protein levels. Zhang C. Anaerobe

● Animal microbiome 

Fiber degradation potential of natural co-cultures of Neocallimastix frontalis and Methanobrevibacter ruminantium isolated from yaks (Bos grunniens) grazing on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau. Wei YQ. Anaerobe

Gut microbiota isolated from the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) and its antimicrobial resistance. Ruzauskas M. Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences

● Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Restoration using Azolla imbricata increases nitrogen functional bacterial groups and genes in soil. Xiao-Ming Lu. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity associated with endemic Tristaniopsis spp. (Myrtaceae) in ultramafic and volcano-sedimentary soils in New Caledonia. Waseem M. Mycorrhiza

Diversity and Assembling Processes of Bacterial Communities in Cryoconite Holes of a Karakoram Glacier.Ambrosini, R.Microbial Ecology

● Water and extremophile microbiome 

Bacterial community structure and prevalence of Pusillimonas-like bacteria in aged landfill leachate. Remmas, N. Environmental Science and Pollution Research

January 15, 2017

Microbes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, review on the female urinary microbiota, koalas with “wet bottom”, virus metagenomics of the Namib desert, biosignatures in fossils.

Jobs

Microbiome Research Associate Job – Merck Research Laboratories – Cambridge, MA – Science Careers

Human urinary tract microbiome

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

Human respiratory microbiome

Host-Microbial Interactions in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis – Philip L Molyneaux – American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Human gut microbiome

The human gut microbiome as source of innovation for health: which physiological and therapeutic outcomes could we expect?: Human gut mibrobiome [SIC] as source of innovation for health – Joël Doré – Thérapie

In FrenchMicrobiote intestinal : qu’en attendre au plan physiologique et thérapeutique ? Le microbiote intestinal comme source d’innovation pour la santé – Joël Doré – Thérapie

Review: Seafood allergen-induced hypersensitivity at the microbiota-mucosal site: implications for prospective probiotic use in allergic response regulation – Linglin Fu – Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Review: Impact Of Human Aging And Modern Lifestyle On Microbiota – Maria Gabriela Valle Gottlieb – Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Review: Effects of environmental pollutants on gut microbiota – Yuanxiang Jin – Environmental Pollution

Animal experiments

Replacing corn with sorghum in the diet alters intestinal microbiota without altering chicken performance – N. S. Fagundes – Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition

Divergent functional isoforms drive niche specialisation for nutrient acquisition and use in rumen microbiome – Francesco Rubino – The ISME Journal

Wolbachia Affects Reproduction and Population Dynamics of the Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei): Implications for Biological Control – Yobana A. Mariño – MDPI Insects

Neoagarotetraose protects mice against intense exercise induced fatigue damage by modulating gut microbial composition and function – Na Zhang – Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

Housing Systems Influence Gut Microbiota Composition of Sows but Not of Their Piglets – Tereza Kubasova – PLOS ONE

Effect of Different Lignocellulosic Diets on Bacterial Microbiota and Hydrolytic Enzyme Activities in the Gut of the Cotton Boll Weevil (Anthonomus grandis) – Emiliano Ben Guerrero – Frontiers in Microbiology

Animal microbiome

Variation in the microbiome of the urogenital tract of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) with and without “wet bottom” – Alistair Raymond Legione – bioRxiv

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

* Fossils: Carbonaceous biosignatures of diverse chemotrophic microbial communities from chert nodules of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation – Yuangao Qu – Precambrian Research

Plant, soil and microbial controls on grassland diversity restoration: A long-term, multi-site mesocosm experiment – Ellen L. Fry – Journal of Applied Ecology

Pyrosequencing reveals bacterial communities and enzyme activities differences after application of novel chiral insecticide Paichongding in aerobic soils – Jie Chen – Applied Soil Ecology

Cedar and bamboo plantations alter structure and diversity of the soil bacterial community from a hardwood forest in subtropical mountain – Yu-Te Lin – Applied Soil Ecology

The differentiation of soil bacterial communities along a precipitation and temperature gradient in the eastern Inner Mongolia steppe – Minjie Yao – CATENA

Shift in fungal communities and associated enzyme activities along an age gradient of managed Pinus sylvestris stands – Julia Kyaschenko – The ISME Journal

Association between Grape Yeast Communities and the Vineyard Ecosystems – João Drumonde-Neves – PLOS ONE

Water microbiome

High growth potential and activity of 0.2 µm filterable bacteria habitually present in coastal seawater – Yumiko Obayashi – Biogeosciences Discuss

Chronic exposure effects of silver nanoparticles on stream microbial decomposer communities and ecosystem functions – Ahmed Tlili – Environmental Science & Technology

Waste and pollution microbiology

Global profiling of metabolite and lipid soluble microbial products in anaerobic wastewater reactor supernatant using UPLC/MSe – Phornpimon Tipthara – Journal of Proteome Research

Food microbiology

Rapid concentration detection and differentiation of bacteria in skimmed milk using surface enhanced Raman scattering mapping on 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid functionalized silver dendrites – Panxue Wang – Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry

Metagenomics and bioinformatics / Viruses and phages

Robust inference of genetic exchange communities from microbial genomes using TF-IDF – Yingnan Cong – Frontiers in Microbiology

Virome assembly and annotation: a surprise in the Namib Desert – Uljana Hesse – Frontiers in Microbiology

Metaviromes of Extracellular Soil Viruses along a Namib Desert Aridity Gradient – Olivier Zablocki – Genome Announcements

Metagenome Sequencing of Prokaryotic Microbiota Collected from Rivers in the Upper Amazon Basin – Célio Dias Santos-Júnior – Genome Announcements

Restoring the Duality between Principal Components of a Distance Matrix and Linear Combinations of Predictors, with Application to Studies of the Microbiome – Glen A. Satten – PLOS ONE

New approach for studying mobile genes using metagenomic analysis – Kazuyuki Ishihara – Oral Diseases

Archaea

New insights into marine group III Euryarchaeota, from dark to light – Jose M Haro-Moreno – The ISME Journal

Techniques

MPLEx: A method for simultaneous pathogen inactivation and extraction of samples for multi-omics profiling – Kristin Burnum-Johnson – Analyst

An explanation of the Nagoya Protocol and Access and Benefit Sharing, and its implication for microbiology – David Smith – Microbiology

Microbes in the news

You’re probably showering way too often – Rafi Letzter – Business Insider

Viruses May Be Responsible For Life As We Know It – Ryan F. Mandelbaum – Gizmodo

Boost your intake of resistant starch to help your gut thrive – Leslie Beck – The Globe and Mail

We now know bacteria can communicate electrically, and we should be worried
They’re organised – David Nield – Science Alert

Proceed with caution: Autism Causes Update: The Gut-Brain Connection And How A Common Probiotic May Ease Symptoms – Lizette Borreli – Medical Daily

Study provides fundamental insights into functioning of microbiota and human-gut flora symbiosis – News Medical

Microbes on the market

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Enterome Announce Immuno-Oncology Collaboration Focused on Microbiome-Derived Biomarkers, Drug Targets and Bioactive Molecules – SAT Press Releases

Bik’s non-microbiology picks

The Physics of Everyday Life. Why popcorn pops and ducks don’t freeze when swimming in icy water. John Gribbin reviews “Storm in a Teacup” by Helen Czerski – Wall Street Journal

January 14, 2017

So it is technically already January 15 most countries, but I have been busy today preparing to transfer Microbiome Digest to an eager group of 20 new contributors. It takes a lot of time to hopefully be able to safe some time – if that makes sense.

My inbox is still full of new alerts, but here is what I have been able to “digest” so far. It’s already a lot!

General human microbiome

Navigating social and ethical challenges of biobanking for human microbiome research –
Kim H. Chuong – BMC Medical Ethics

Editorial: Influence of the microbiota on host physiology – moving beyond the gut
– Kim E. Barrett – The Journal of Physiology

Pregnancy and early life

* Pregnant women carrying microcephaly foetuses and Zika virus contain potentially pathogenic microbes and parasites in their amniotic fluid – Diogo Antonio Tschoeke – BMC Medical Genomics

Growth and Morbidity of Gambian Infants are Influenced by Maternal Milk Oligosaccharides and Infant Gut Microbiota – Jasmine C. C. Davis – Scientific Reports

Identical bacterial populations colonize premature infant gut, skin, and oral microbiomes and exhibit different in situ growth rates – Matthew R Olm – Genome Research

The Microbiome and Complement Activation A Mechanistic Model for Preterm Birth – Alexis B. Dunn – Biological Research for Nursing

Review: Asthma and the microbiome: defining the critical window in early life – Leah T. Stiemsma – Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology

Human gut microbiome

Alcohol, microbiome, life style influence alcohol and non-alcoholic organ damage – Manuela G. Neuman – Experimental and Molecular Pathology

Serum Trimethylamine N-oxide, Carnitine, Choline and Betaine in Relation to Colorectal Cancer Risk in the Alpha Tocopherol and Beta Carotene Study – Kristin A. Guertin – Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

Laboratory Testing of Donors and Stool for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent C. difficile Infection – Michael H. Woodwort – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Editorial: Gut microbiota: implications for sports and exercise medicine – Owen Cronin – British Journal of Sports Medicine

Review/Addendum: Pathogen control at the intestinal mucosa – H2O2 to the rescue
Ulla G. Knaus – Gut Microbes

Editorial: Tune into the rhythm of your bugs – Purna Kashyap – Science Translational Medicine

Preview: Are Gut Microbes Responsible for Post-dieting Weight Rebound? – Julien Chilloux – Cell Metabolism

Review: Involvement of Reduced Microbial Diversity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Dawei Gong – Gastroenterology Research and Practice

Year in Review: Gut microbiota in 2016: A banner year for gut microbiota research – Wendy S. Garrett – Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Review: Gut microbiota disturbance during helminth infection: can it affect cognition and behaviour of children? – Vanina Guernier – BMC Infectious Diseases

Review: An expanding stage for commensal microbes in host immune regulation – Yan Shi – Cellular & Molecular Immunology

Perspective: Decoding host–microbiota communication in the gut – now we’re flying!
– Stephen J. Keely – The Journal of Physiology

Just based on the abstract, this appears a wild hypothesis potentially ignoring economic status, fiber consumption etc:  Latitude as a co-driver of human gut microbial diversity? – Emma Dikongué – Ideas that Push the Boundaries

Book: Gut Microbiome and Behavior, Volume 131 – John F. Cryan, Gerard Clarke – Elsevier

Animal experiments

Intestinal microbiota as a tetrahydrobiopterin exogenous source in hph-1 mice – Jaques Belik – Scientific Reports

Oral treatment with Lactobacillus rhamnosus attenuates behavioural deficits and immune changes in chronic social stress – Aadil Bharwani – BMC Medicine

Year in review: Microbiome in 2016: T follicular helper cells and the gut microbiome in arthritis – Veena Taneja – Nature Reviews Rheumatology

Animal microbiome

Bacterial Communities Associated with Houseflies (Musca domestica L.) Sampled within and between Farms – Simon Bahrndorff – PLOS ONE

Microbiome variation in corals with distinct depth distribution ranges across a shallow–mesophotic gradient (15–85 m) – Bettina Glasl – Coral Reefs

Symbiont-induced odorant binding proteins mediate insect host hematopoiesis – Joshua B Benoit – eLIFE

Drivers of variation in species impacts for a multi-host fungal disease of bats  –
Kate E. Langwig – Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Sponges: Evaluating the core microbiota in complex communities: A systematic investigation – Carmen Astudillo-Garcia – Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Bacterial community composition in costal dunes of the Mediterranean along a gradient from the sea shore to the inland – Haggai Wasserstrom – Scientific Reports

Phylogenetic relatedness, phenotypic similarity and plant–soil feedbacks – Connor R. Fitzpatrick

Review: Microbiome and the future for food and nutrient security – Brajesh K. Singh – Microbial Biotechnology

Water microbiome

Similar community assembly mechanisms underlie similar biogeography of rare and abundant bacteria in lakes on Yungui Plateau, China – Jingqiu Liao – Limnology and Oceanography

Built environment microbiome

Microbial diversity in different compartments of an aquaponics system – Zala Schmautz – Archives of Microbiology

Food microbiology

The influence of thiamine and riboflavin on various spoilage microorganisms commonly found in beer – Barry Hucker – The Journal of The Institue of Brewing

Waste and pollution microbiology

Microbial flora analysis for the degradation of beta-cypermethrin – Zhang Qi – Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Fungi (also see Animal Microbiome)

Medical mycology and fungal immunology: new research perspectives addressing a major world health challenge – Neil A. R. Gow – Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Proteomics and metabolomics

MAHMI database: a comprehensive MetaHit-based resource for the study of the mechanism of action of the human microbiota – Aitor Blanco-Míguez – Database

PerspectiveProgress in the biology and analysis of short chain fatty acids – Roel J. Vonk – The Journal of Physiology

Bioinformatics and biostatistics

Using Machine Learning to Identify Major Shifts in Human Gut Microbiome Protein Family Abundance in Disease – Mehrdad Yazdani – IEEE

Microscale Insight into Microbial Seed Banks – Kenneth J. Locey – Frontiers in Microbiology

* EMPeror: Bringing the Dynamic Microbiome to Life with Animations – Yoshiki Vázquez-Baeza – Cell Host & Microbe

Parallel-META 3: Comprehensive taxonomical and functional analysis platform for efficient comparison of microbial communities – Gongchao Jing – Scientific Reports

Identifying Host Genetic Variants Associated with Microbiome Composition by Testing Multiple Beta Diversity Matrices – Hua X. – Human Heredity

MetaDP: a comprehensive web server for disease prediction of 16S rRNA metagenomic datasets – Xilin Xu – Biophysics Reports

Techniques

Methodological flaws introduce strong bias into molecular analysis of microbial populations – N. Krakat – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Editorial: Microbial Nanoscopy: Breakthroughs, Challenges, and Opportunities – Yves F. Dufrêne – ACS Nano

More microbes

Asgard archaea illuminate the origin of eukaryotic cellular complexity – Katarzyna Zaremba-Niedzwiedzka – Nature

* Species-Independent Attraction to Biofilms through Electrical Signaling – Jacqueline Humphries – Cell

A bacterial global regulator forms a prion – Andy H. Yuan – Science

A periplasmic polymer curves Vibrio cholerae and promotes pathogenesis – Thomas M. Bartlett – Cell

Assembly of a nucleus-like structure during viral replication in bacteria – Vorrapon Chaikeeratisak – Science

Microbes in the news

Man’s best friend, bacteria’s worst enemy: dog sniffs out superbug in Canadian hospital – Ashifa Kassam – The Guardian

This article is not as bad as the title suggests but with photoshopped images:
Revealed: The millions of stomach-churning bacteria lurking in YOUR hair, skin, lungs, gut and mouth – and why – Mary Kekatos – Daily Mail

Video: Career profiles: Program Director at National Science Foundation Matthew Kane – American Society for Microbiology

A clear picture of bacteria: A new study has frozen bacteria extremely fast to gain a true-to-nature image of the internal and external structure – Science Daily

January 12, 2017

uBiome blog

Losing Weight is the Most Popular New Year’s Resolution – Could Probiotics Help? – Julie Taylor – uBiome

Video: Young Microbiome Researchers: Celsius & Beyond – uBiome
For the uBiome team, working with other scientists is always rewarding, but we particularly enjoyed our recent collaboration with a team of researchers, many of whom were swamped by their lab coats and blue nitrile gloves.

Jobs

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Microbiology – California Academy of Sciences

Pregnancy and early life

* A molecular portrait of maternal sepsis from Byzantine Troy – Alison M Devault – eLIFE

The Generation R Study: design and cohort update 2017 – Marjolein N. Kooijman – European Journal of Epidemiology

Human oral microbiome

On the ecosystemic network of saliva in healthy young adults – Egija Zaura – The ISME Journal

Human gut microbiome

Seven brief reviews: Topical Issue of the Journal of Immunology: The Macro Influence of the Microbiome – Pamela J. Fink – The Journal of Immunology

Review: Microbiome and the future for food and nutrient security – Brajesh K. Singh – Microbial Biotechnology

Animal experiments

Neuroblastoma causes alterations of the intestinal microbiome, gut hormones, inflammatory cytokines, and bile acid composition – Christoph Castellani – Pediatric Blood & Cancer

Routine assessment of the gut microbiome to promote preclinical research reproducibility and transparency – Hannah R Wardill – Gut

Animal microbiome

Postnatal changes in the relative abundance of intestinal Lactobacillus spp. in newborn calves – Tadashi Takino – Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

Population- and growth-related differences in helminthic fauna of finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) in five Japanese populations – Akira Shiozaki – Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

Antifeedants Produced by Bacteria Associated with the Gut of the Pine Weevil Hylobius abietis – Karolin Axelsson – Microbial Ecology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Trends in Taxonomic and Functional Composition of Soil Microbiome Along a Precipitation Gradient in Israel – Binu M. Tripathi – Microbial Ecology

Diel-scale temporal dynamics recorded for bacterial groups in Namib Desert soil – Eoin Gunnigle – Scientific Report

Foliar application of the leaf-colonizing yeast Pseudozyma churashimaensis elicits systemic defense of pepper against bacterial and viral pathogens – Gahyung Lee – Scientific Reports

Response of microbial communities colonizing salt marsh plants rhizosphere to copper oxide nanoparticles contamination and its implications for phytoremediation processes – Joana P. Fernandes – Science of the Total Environment

Biodegradation of the veterinary antibiotics enrofloxacin and ceftiofur and associated microbial community dynamics – Diogo A.M. Alexandrino – Science of the Total Environment

Redox conditions and marine microbial community changes during the end-Ordovician mass extinction event – Justyna Smolarek – Global and Planetary Change

Use of plant growth promoting bacterial strains to improve Cytisus striatus and Lupinus luteus development for potential application in phytoremediation – María Balseiro-Romero – Science of the Total Environment

Response of microbial communities colonizing salt marsh plants rhizosphere to copper oxide nanoparticles contamination and its implications for phytoremediation processes -Joana P. Fernandes – Science of the Total Environment

Communication of Sedentary Plant-Parasitic Nematodes With Their Host Plants – T. Hewezi – Advances in Botanical Research

Book chapter: Application of Microbiology in Dryland Agriculture – Minakshi Grover – Innovations in Dryland Agriculture

Water and extremophile microbiome

Potential Activity of Subglacial Microbiota Transported to Anoxic River Delta Sediments – Karen A. Cameron – Microbial Ecology

Microbial community dynamics in Inferno Crater Lake, a thermally fluctuating geothermal spring – Laura Ward – The ISME Journal

Determining virus-host interactions and glycerol metabolism profiles in geographically diverse solar salterns with metagenomics – Abraham G. Moller – PeerJ

Abundance of microorganisms and enzyme activity in the rapids-pool-benchland systems in natural Douliu River of China – Zhen Hong Wang – PeerJ Preprint

Distinct sensitivity of fungal freshwater guilds to water quality – Oliver Röhl – Mycological

Food microbiology

Bacterial microbiota of Kazakhstan cheese revealed by single molecule real time (SMRT) sequencing and its comparison with Belgian, Kalmykian and Italian artisanal cheeses – Jing Li – BMC Microbiology

A combined meta-barcoding and shotgun metagenomic analysis of spontaneous wine fermentation – Peter R Sternes – bioRxiv

Waste and pollution microbiology

Microbial community structure in a full-scale anaerobic treatment plant during start-up and first year of operation revealed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing – Else Marie Fykse – Bioresource Technology

Bioinformatics

* MicroPattern: a web-based tool for microbe set enrichment analysis and disease similarity calculation based on a list of microbes – Wei Ma – Scientific Reports

Microbial ecology

Review: Where less may be more: how the rare biosphere pulls ecosystems strings – Alexandre Joussett – ISME Journal

Microbes in the news

Gut science is radically changing what we know of the human body – Pat Rich – University Affairs Canada

Renowned microbiology expert to visit West Florida. Claire Fraser will present, “The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease” – SR Press Gazette

Microbiomes Move Standard Plate Count One Step Forward – Gregory Siragusa – Food Safety Tech

Researchers develop new compound to fight cytomegalovirus – EurekAlert

Eating red meat six times a week could increase chances of getting painful bowel disease – Daisy Dunne – Mirror

This looks intriguing: Microbiota and the masses: a love story – S. B. Divya – MacMillan

Microbes on the market

Gut microbiome profiling tests propelled by customer demand – Vijay Shankar – Nature Biotechnology

Bruker Announces Acquisition of CMO InVivo Biotech to Expand Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Pathology Consumables and Assay Business

Bik’s non-microbiology picks

UCSF Receives Historic Half-Billion-Dollar Donation – Lindsey Hoshaw – KQED

This is a tragic/comic read, but note that the original post contained some offending language, that was removed after protests on e.g. Twitter. The Rise and Fall of a Shrimp Biologist – David Scholnick – Scientific American

January 10, 2017

A culture-based study of 2000 nasal microbiomes, eye metabolites, cardiorespiratory fitness in breast cancer survivors, Akkermansia from a python, chickpea rhizosphere, tobacco wilt suppression, plant rhizosphere mass spectrometry, phyloSkeleton.

Human nasal microbiome

Epidemiological and ecological modelling reveal diversity in microbial population structures from a cross-sectional community swabbing study – Abigail L Coughtrie – bioRxiv

Human eye microbiome

LC-MS-Based Metabolic Fingerprinting of Aqueous Humor – Karolina Pietrowska – Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry

Human vaginal microbiome

MS thesis: Metagenomic characterization of the vaginal microbiome – Keshini Devakandan – University of British Columbia

Human gut microbiome

Gut microbiota composition associated with alterations in cardiorespiratory fitness and psychosocial outcomes among breast cancer survivors – Jesseca A. Paulsen – Supportive Care in Cancer

SYN-004 (ribaxamase), an oral β-lactamase designed to protect the gut microbiome from the deleterious effects of certain intravenously administered β-lactam antibiotics, degrades ceftriaxone excreted into the intestine in Phase 2a clinical studies – John F. Kokai-Kun – Antimicrobial Agents Chemotherapy

Animal experiments

Respiration of Microbiota-Derived 1,2-propanediol Drives Salmonella Expansion during Colitis – Franziska Faber – PLOS Pathogens

Animal microbiome

Complete Genome Sequence of Akkermansia glycaniphila Strain PytT, a Mucin-Degrading Specialist of the Reticulated Python Gut – Janneke P. Ouwerkerk – Genome Announcements

Symbiotic bacteria associated with a bobtail squid reproductive system are detectable in the environment, and stable in the host and in eggs throughout development – Allison H. Kerwin – Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Competition between rhizobia under different environmental conditions affects the nodulation of a legume – Zhao Jun Ji – Systematic and Applied Microbiology

Combined pre-seed treatment with microbial inoculants and Mo nanoparticles changes composition of root exudates and rhizosphere microbiome structure of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants – E. N. Shcherbakova – Symbiosis

Interactions of soil particulate organic matter chemistry and microbial community composition mediating carbon mineralization in karst soils – Wei Xiao – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Metabolic profiling of root exudates from two ecotypes of Sedum alfredii treated with Pb based on GC-MS – Qing Luo – Scientific Reports

Effects of Wetland Vegetation on Soil Microbial Composition: A Case Study in Tumen River Basin, Northeast China– Qin Lei – Chin. Geogra. Sci

Microbial communities in pyrene amended soil–compost mixture and fertilized soil – Iris K. U. Adam – AMB Express

Competition assays and physiological experiments of soil and phyllosphere yeasts identify Candida subhashii as a novel antagonist of filamentous fungi – Maja Hilber-Bodmer – BMC Microbiology

Tobacco bacterial wilt suppression with biochar soil addition associates to improved soil physiochemical properties and increased rhizosphere bacteria abundance – Chengsheng Zhang – Applied Soil Ecology

Editorial: Microbial community ecology: Function over phylogeny – Sean M. Gibbons – Nature Ecology & Evolution

Review: Elucidating rhizosphere processes by mass spectrometry – A review – Ariana Rugova – Analytica Chimica Acta

Water and extremophile microbiome

Genomic repertoire of the Woeseiaceae/JTB255, cosmopolitan and abundant core members of microbial communities in marine sediments – Marc Mußmann – The ISME Journal

Food microbiology

ReviewAn Integrated View of the Effects of Wine Polyphenols and Their Relevant Metabolites on Gut and Host Health – Carolina Cueva – Molecules

Microbiological quality of Brazilian UHT milk: Identification and spoilage potential of spore-forming bacteria – Claudia L O Pinto – International Journal of Dairy Technology

Metabolomics for empirical delineation of the traditional Korean fermented foods and beverages – Digar Singh – Trends in Food Science & Technology

Source tracking of prokaryotic communities in fermented grain of Chinese strong-flavor liquor – Xueshan Wang – International Journal of Food Microbiology

Bioinformatics

phyloSkeleton: taxon selection, data retrieval and marker identification for phylogenomics – Lionel Guy – Bioinformatics

Microbes in the news

Hyperthermophiles and Cryophiles: The World’s Most Extreme Organisms – Priya Amin – Harvard Science Review

Bik’s non-microbiology picks

Responses of Human Neonates to Highly Diluted Odorants from Sweat – Helene M. Loos – Journal of Chemical Ecology

January 7, 2017

3D modeling of endometrial interaction with vaginal bacteria, insect symbiont determined by host plants, 2011 tsunami effects on  phytoplankton, virus taxonomy, Microbiome Helper and microRNA sensitivity in intestinal stem cells.

Human vaginal microbiome

Human three-dimensional endometrial epithelial cell model to study host interactions with vaginal bacteria and Neisseria gonorrhoeae – Paweł Łaniewski – Infection and Immunity

Human gut microbiome

Workshop Proceedings: Nutrition Across the Lifespan for Healthy Aging – Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief – NAS

Review: Gut–brain axis in 2016: Brain–gut–microbiota axis — mood, metabolism and behaviour – Timothy G. Dinan & John F. Cryan – Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Animal experiments

Respiration of Microbiota-Derived 1,2-propanediol Drives Salmonella Expansion during Colitis – Franziska Faber – PLOS Pathogens

Comparative Analysis of Drosophila melanogaster Gut Microbiota with Respect to Host Strain, Sex, and Age – Gangsik Han – Microbial Ecology

Impact of birth weight and postnatal diet on the gut microbiota of young adult guinea pigs – Kait Al – PeerJ

* Host plant species determines symbiotic bacterial community mediating suppression of plant defenses – Seung Ho Chung – Scientific Reports

Animal microbiome

Insights into the lifestyle of uncultured bacterial natural product factories associated with marine sponges – Gerald Lackner – PNAS

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Regulation of root development in Arabidopsis thaliana by phytohormone-secreting epiphytic methylobacteria – Jana Klikno – Protoplasma

Diversity and composition of rhizospheric soil and root endogenous bacteria in Panax notoginseng during continuous cropping practices – Yong Tan – Journal of Basic Microbiology

Subsurface Microbial Ecosystems: A Photon Flux and a Metabolic Cascade – Alexander P. Petroff – Journal of Statistical Physics

Water microbiome

* Retrospective analysis of phytoplankton assemblages on the Iwate coast before and after the 2011 tsunami using cryopreserved DNA samples – Yutaka Okumura

Effects of iron deficiency on the growth and photosynthesis of three bloom-forming cyanobacterial species isolated from Lake Taihu – Kui Xu – Phycological Research

Patterns of bacterial diversity in the marine planktonic particulate matter continuum
Mireia Mestre – The ISME Journal

Bioreactor, waste, and pollution microbiology

Biofilm composition and threshold concentration for growth of Legionella pneumophila on surfaces exposed to flowing warm tap water without disinfectant – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Enhanced methane production via repeated batch bioaugmentation pattern of enriched microbial consortia – Zhiman Yang – Bioresource Technology

Accelerated acidification by inoculation with a microbial consortia in a complex open environment – Jiadong Yu – Bioresource Technology

Effects of a bacterial consortium from acid mine drainage on cadmium phytoextraction and indigenous soil microbial community – Jin-tian Li – Plant and Soil

Can DNA sequencing show differences between microbial communities in Polish and Danish wastewater treatment plants? – A. Miłobędzka – Water Science & Technology

Frequency dependent microbial growth during cycles of feast and famine – Jason Merritt – arXiv

Viruses and phages

* Consensus statement: Virus taxonomy in the age of metagenomics – Peter Simmonds – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Genomic evolution of bacterial populations under coselection by antibiotics and phage
– Johannes Cairns – Molecular Ecology

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

* Microbiome Helper: a Custom and Streamlined Workflow for Microbiome Research – André M. Comeau – mSystems

Transcriptomics

Functional transcriptomics in diverse intestinal epithelial cell types reveals robust microRNA sensitivity in intestinal stem cells to microbial status – Bailey C.E. Peck – Journal of Biological Chemistry

Biofilms

Tackling Fungal Resistance by Biofilm Inhibitors – Shanchao Wu – Journal of Medical Chemistry

Microbes in the news

Featuring our research: The Secret Lives of Marine Mammal Microbes – Probing the mystery of what goes on inside the guts of dolphins and whales – Emma Hiolski – Scientific American

That cold you have might actually be the worst Bay Area flu outbreak in a decade – Kristin Hanes – SF Gate

Microbiomes in far-flung places: characterizing the arctic Inuit gut microbiome – Stephen Ornes – ASM

Microbes on the market

MoBio’s Microbiome News is back!

OptiBiotix Release: Microbiome Technology Powers The Healthy Weight Loss Company Expansion – BioSpace

Bik’s Non-Microbiology Picks

The crack in this Antarctic ice shelf just grew by 11 miles. A dramatic break could be imminent – Chris Mooney – Washington Post

Citizen Science: It’s that time of year: the annual bird count – Shawn Price – Los Angeles Times

January 5, 2017

Microbiome of Inuit, centenarians, microbes showing differential expression when they are grown with sound, taxonomy of prokaryotic viruses.

Human gut microbiome

Gut Microbiome of the Canadian Arctic Inuit – Catherine Girard – mSphere

The gut microbiota of centenarians: Signatures of longevity in the gut microbiota profile – Biagi Elena – Mechanisms of Ageing and Development

Review: Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of the Interplay Between Herbal Medicines and Gut Microbiota – Jun Xu – Medicinal Research Reviews

Editorial: The microbiome as a source of new enterprises and job creation: Considering clinical faecal and synthetic microbiome transplants and therapeutic regulation – Daniel van der Lelie – Microbial Biotechnology

Animal experiments

Effect of dietary kefir on the growth performance, feed utilization and fatty acid profile of juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss – E. Gümüş – Aquaculture Nutrition

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

The Pseudomonas putida T6SS is a plant warden against phytopathogens – Patricia Bernal – The ISME Journal

Mycorrhizal Colonization Status and Rhizosphere Soil Properties of BCSIR Reserve Forest Rajshahi, Bangladesh – M. Halder – Current World Environment

Waste and pollution microbiology

Batch and continuous removal of heavy metals from industrial effluents using microbial consortia – F. Migahed – International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Musical microbes

Frequency-dependent response of Chromobacterium violaceum to sonic stimulation, and altered gene expression associated with enhanced violacein production at 300 Hz – Chinmayi Joshi – bioRxiv

Bioinformatics

Book: Molecular Data Analysis Using R – Csaba Ortutay

Viruses and phages

Taxonomy of prokaryotic viruses: 2016 update from the ICTV bacterial and archaeal viruses subcommittee – Evelien M. Adriaenssens – Archives of Virology

Metabolomics

Optimal allocation of metabolic functions among organisms in a microbial ecosystem – Qi Zhao – Decision and Control (CDC), 2016 IEEE 55th Conference on

Microbes in the news

CDC keeps secret its mishaps with deadly germs: CDC blacked-out information from lab incident reports – Alison Young – USA Today

Single fecal transplant no more effective than standard of care in treating C. diff – MedicalXpress

Alaska gulls are picking up antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could infect humans – Yereth Rosen – ADN

Man-made lake near Linganore drained to kill toxic pink bacteria: pink-colored cyanobacterium releases a toxin – Samantha Hogan – The Frederick News Post

Bacteria Hysteria

Dirty Money. The public health case for a cashless society – Dina Fine Maron – Scientific American
The Money in Your Wallet Might Be Covered With Poop, Mold, and Cocaine – Brad
– Money
The 5 Dirtiest Things You Touch Every Day – Markham Heid – Time

Microbes in the market

Israeli Gut Microbiome Startup Lands Mayo Clinic Venture Backing – TwinCities Business

Ritter Pharmaceuticals Phase 2a Lactose Intolerance Clinical Trial Microbiome Data, Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – Yahoo

Cambridge BioMarketing Announces Five Predictions for 2017 – Yahoo

Bruker Announces Acquisition of CMO InVivo Biotech to Expand Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Pathology Consumables and Assay Business – PR Newswire

Science integrity

Bavarian court sentences me to prison if I dare repeat unwelcome facts of Walles’ trachea transplants – Leonid Schneider – For Better Science

 

December 29, 2016

A foundational coral, bacteria in tree hollows, mining and visualizing microbiome data with Calypso, viral metagenomics in aquaculture.

General microbiome

Editorial: You are not alone – M. Ludwig – Acta Physiologica

Human ear microbiome

The Relationship of the Middle Ear Effusion Microbiome to Secretory Mucin Production in Pediatric Patients with Chronic Otitis Media – Krueger, Anna – The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

Animal experiments

Improvement of Intestinal Immune Cell Function by Lactic Acid Bacteria for Dairy Products – Tomonori Kamiya – Microorganisms

In poultry: Zeolite food supplementation reduces abundance of enterobacteria – Tanka P. Prasai – Microbiological Research

Animal microbiome

Effects of predation and nutrient enrichment on the success and microbiome of a foundational coral – Elizabeth C. Shaver – Ecology

By their own devices: invasive Argentine ants have shifted diet without clear aid from symbiotic microbes – Yi Hu – Molecular Ecology

Gut content microbiota of introduced bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) inhabiting the largest shallow lake in Central Europe – Andrea K. Borsodi – Microbiological Research

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Ericoid Roots and Mycospheres Govern Plant-Specific Bacterial Communities in Boreal Forest Humus – Sari Timonen – Microbial Ecology

Benzo(a)pyrene degradation and microbial community responses in composted soil – Fengxiao Zhu – Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Bacteria and Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Tree Hollows From the Iberian Mediterranean Forest – I. R. Sánchez-Galván – Environmental Entomology

Cd immobilization and reduced tissue Cd accumulation of rice (Oryza sativa wuyun-23) in the presence of heavy metal-resistant bacteria – Ya Li – Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Water microbiome

Environmental Viral Metagenomics Analyses in Aquaculture: Applications in Epidemiology and Disease Control – Hetron M. Munang’andu – Frontiers in Microbiology

Food microbiology

Microbial Ecology Dynamics in Portuguese Broa Sourdough – João M. Rocha – Journal of Food Quality

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

Calypso: a user-friendly web-server for mining and visualizing microbiome–environment interactions – Martha Zakrzewski – Bioinformatics

DACE: A Scalable DP-means Algorithm for Clustering Extremely Large Sequence Data – Linhao Jiang – Bioinformatics

A novel approach based on KATZ measure to predict associations of human microbiota with non-infectious diseases – Xing Chen – Bioinformatics

Measuring the diversity of the human microbiota with targeted next-generation sequencing – Francesca Finotello – Briefings in Bioinformatics

More microbiology

Collective Resistance in Microbial Communities by Intracellular Antibiotic Deactivation – Robin A. Sorg – PLOS Biology
Microbes in the news

Circadian rhythms and the microbiome – Cosmos Magazine

You Don’t Even Want To Know About Bacteria On The Space Station – Trace Dominguez – Seeker

Rabbits, Bacteria and Calcium – Carl Palazzolo – Long Beach Post

Bacteria evolving more sophisticated antibiotic resistance – Brooks Hays – UPI