March 16, 2016

Events

Strategies & Techniques for Analyzing Microbial Population Structures (STAMPS) Course 8/3-8/13 – MicroBEnet

Human skin microbiome

An in Vitro Model for the Human Cutaneous Microbial Ecosystem – Danique A. van der Krieken – Acta Dermato-Venereologica

Human oral microbiome

Interactions between Streptococcus oralis, Actinomyces oris, and Candida albicans in the development of multispecies oral microbial biofilms on salivary pellicle – I.M.G. Cavalcanti – Molecular Oral Microbiology

Human respiratory tract microbiome

High genetic diversity of Staphylococcus aureus strains colonising the nasopharynx of Gambian villagers before widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines – Chinelo Ebruke – BMC Microbiology

Human gut microbiome

Note: data segregate according to studyGene expression profiling gut microbiota in different races of humans – Lei Chen – Scientific Reports

Review: A healthy gastrointestinal microbiome is dependent on dietary diversity – Mark L. Heiman

Review: Gut Microbiota and Obesity: Potential Therapeutic Targets and Probiotic 
Nicole D. White – American Journal of Life Sciences

Animal models

Fuzhuan tea consumption imparts hepatoprotective effects and alters intestinal microbiota in high saturated fat diet-fed rats – Michelle T. Foster – Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

Long-term effects of early life microbiota disturbance on adaptive immunity in laying 
K. Simon – Poultry Science

Rapid evolution of microbe-mediated protection against pathogens in a worm host
Kayla C King – ISME Journal

Impact of 4-epi-oxytetracycline on the gut microbiota and blood metabolomics of Wistar rats
Hongxing Han – Scientific Reports

Animal microbiome

Genomic Analysis of Companion Rabbit Staphylococcus aureus – Mark A. Holmes – PLOS ONE

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Influences of Plant Species, Season and Location on Leaf Endophytic Bacterial Communities of Non-Cultivated Plants – Tao Ding – PLOS ONE

Water and extremophile microbiome

Ecosystem function decays by fungal outbreaks in Antarctic microbial mats – David Velázquez – Scientific Reports

Multi-laboratory survey of qPCR enterococci analysis method performance in U.S. coastal and inland surface waters – Richard A. Haugland – Journal of Microbiological Methods

Built environment microbiome

Potentially harmful secondary metabolites produced by indoor Chaetomium species on artificially and naturally contaminated building materials – I. Došen – Indoor AIr

Food microbiology

Helicobacter pylori in bottled mineral water: genotyping and antimicrobial resistance properties – Reza Ranjbar – BMC Microbiology

Effects of Temperature on Bacterial Communities and Metabolites during Fermentation of Myeolchi-Aekjeot, a Traditional Korean Fermented Anchovy Sauce – Ji Young Jung – PLOS ONE

Viruses and phages

The Formulation of Bacteriophage in a Semi Solid Preparation for Control of Propionibacterium acnes Growth – Teagan L. Brown – PLOS ONE

News & Views: Microbial oceanography: Viral strategies at sea – T. Frede Thingstad – Nature

Lytic to temperate switching of viral communities – B. Knowles – Nature

Microbial Ecology

Closely coupled evolutionary history of ecto- and endosymbionts from two distantly related animal phyla – Judith Zimmerman – Molecular Ecology

Bioinformatics

RiboFR-Seq: a novel approach to linking 16S rRNA amplicon profiles to 
Yanming Zhang – Nucleic Acids Research

Techniques

The US Culture Collection Network lays the foundation for progress in preservation of valuable microbial resources – Kevin McCluskey – Phytopathology

Assessing the impact of long term frozen storage of faecal samples on protein concentration and protease activity – Laura S. Morris – Journal of Microbiological Methods

A modified micro chamber agar spot slide culture technique for microscopic examination of filamentous fungi – Peralam Yegneswaran Prakash – Journal of Microbiological Methods

Microbes in the news

uBiome is World’s First Company to Appoint Citizen-Scientist-in-Residence – PR Web

Incredible images reveal bacteria motor parts in unprecedented detail – Science Codex

Ancient Bacteria With Photosynthesis Were Much More Common Than Previously Thought, Study Finds – Catherine Griffin – HNGN

Viral Remnants Help Regulate Human Immunity: Endogenous retroviruses in the human genome can regulate genes involved in innate immune responses – Jyoti Madhusoodanan – The Scientist

Plastic That Mimics Insect Wings Kills Bacteria, University of California, Irvine Study – Biospace

Early heavy metal exposure can cause permanent changes to gut microbiome and cause a host of diseases – Dave Mihalovic – SOTT

Slice of PLOS: Bacteria’s Social Media – Lauren Richardson – PLOS ONE

“Unsurprisingly, Perlmutter has his critics.” Neurologist David Perlmutter gets to the guts of brain health with surprising advice – SMH.com

Opinion: A Mother’s Microbes: On “vaginal seeding” and the challenge of evidence-based parenting – Rob Knight and Jack Gilbert – The Scientist

Australian Scientists Discover How Gut Bacteria May Prevent Stomach Cancer – MSN

Reduction in dietary diversity impacts richness of human gut microbiota – Science Codex
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep23075

Press might be overinterpreting Mouse seminal microbiome study:
Scientists discover microbiome that may be responsible for male reproductive disorders – EurekAlert

Seminal work. How unruly data led MU scientists to discover a new microbiome – Roger Meissen – Decoding Science

Microbiome: This Type Of Bacteria May Increase Risk Of Reproductive Disorders – Kathleen Lees – HNGN

Science, publishing, and career

Handful of Biologists Went Rogue and Published Directly to Internet – Amy Harmon

Peer-Led Team Learning Helps Minority Students Succeed – Julia J. Snyder – PLOS Biology

Video parody: PloS ANNA VS ELSAvier – For The First Time – Luisa Hugerth -YouTube

Bik’s Picks

A Month in Mammoth. Two sleep researchers braved the subterranean environment of a Kentucky cave to see if they could train their bodies to abandon the cyclical rhythms of the 24-hour day – The Scientist

Night Night, Flipper – Watch underwater footage of a dolphin sleeping in the wild – The Scientist

Scientists Find That Getting Multiple Tattoos Strengthens Your Immune System – Kelly Tatera – Science Explorer

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March 15, 2016

Intrapartum antibiotics and newborn gut microbiota, the seminal fluid microbiome, and xenobiotic metabolism by gut microbes.

General microbiome

Review: The interplay between the microbiome and the adaptive immune response in cancer development – Edda Russo – Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology

Pregnancy and birth

Evaluation of the effects of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis on newborn intestinal microbiota using a sequencing approach targeted to multi hypervariable 16S rDNA regions – Irene Aloisio – Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Human respiratory microbiome

Neonatal Gastrointestinal and Respiratory Microbiome in Cystic Fibrosis: Potential Interactions and Implications for Systemic Health – Juliette C. Madan – Clinical Therapeutics

Review: Host-microbiome interactions in acute and chronic respiratory infections – Steven Taylor – Cellular Microbiology

Human reproductive tract microbiome

Discovery of a Novel Seminal Fluid Microbiome and Influence of Estrogen Receptor Alpha Genetic Status – Angela B. Javurek – Scientific Reports

Human gut microbiome

Bloom and bust: intestinal microbiota dynamics in response to hospital exposures and Clostridium difficile colonization or infection – Caroline Vincent – Microbiome

Upper Versus Lower Gastrointestinal Delivery for Transplantation of Fecal Microbiota in Recurrent or Refractory Clostridium difficile Infection: A Collaborative Analysis of Individual Patient Data From 14 Studies – Luis Furuya-Kanamori – Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology

Similar depletion of protective Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in psoriasis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but not in Hidradenitis Suppurativa – Hester Eppinga – Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis

Review: The role of the gastrointestinal tract and microbiota on uremic toxins and chronic kidney disease development – David Briskey – Clinical and Experimental Nephrology

Review: The microbial pharmacists within us: a metagenomic view of xenobiotic metabolism – Peter Spanogiannopoulos – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Animal microbiome

Vertebrate hosts as islands: dynamics of selection, immigration, loss, persistence and potential function of bacteria on salamander skin – Andrew H. Loudon – Frontiers in Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Altered carbon turnover processes and microbiomes in soils under long-term extremely high CO2 exposure – Felix Beulig – Nature Microbiology

Metagenomic and functional analyses of the consequences of reduction of bacterial diversity on soil functions and bioremediation in diesel-contaminated microcosms – Jaejoon Jun – Scientific Reports

Bacterial Community Succession in Pine-Wood Decomposition – Anna M. Kielak – Frontiers in Microbiology

Cave microbiome

MiSeq HV4 16S rRNA gene analysis of bacterial community composition among the cave sediments of Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot – Surajit De Mandal – Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Water microbiome

Bacterial diversity and distribution in seven different estuarine sediments of Poyang Lake, China – Ping Sheng – Environmental Earth Sciences

Built environment microbiology

Detection of Balamuthia mandrillaris DNA in the storage case of contact lenses in Germany – Carsten Balczun – Parasitology Research

Viruses and phages

Characterization of Viral Communities of Biting Midges and Identification of Novel Thogotovirus Species and Rhabdovirus Genus – Sarah Temmam – MDPI Viruses

Metagenomic analysis demonstrates the diversity of the fecal virome in asymptomatic pigs in East Africa – Joshua O. Amimo – Archives of Virology

Bacteriophages to reduce gut carriage of antibiotic resistant uropathogens with low impact on microbiota composition – Matthieu Galtier – Environmental Microbiology

Review: Mutualistic viruses and the heteronomy of life – Thomas Pradeu – Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Microbial Ecology

Engineering microbial consortia for controllable outputs – Stephen R Lindemann – ISME Journal

Review: The Anthropocene: a conspicuous stratigraphical signal of anthropogenic changes in production and consumption across the biosphere – Mark Williams – Earth’s Future

Book, all chapters written by Thomas CG Bosch and David J Miller. Not free of plagiarism and self-citing: The Holobiont Imperative: Perspectives from Early Emerging Animals – Springer

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

Illumina error profiles: resolving fine-scale variation in metagenomic sequencing data – Melanie Schirmer – BMC Bioinformatics

Microbes in the news

Bacterial biofilms in hospital water pipes may show pathogenic properties – Phys.org

Developed in Prince William, ISOThrive feeds human microbiome – Potomac Local

The first Truth is already not true: 3 Truths and a Lie About the Microbiome. Stick to the science if you want a healthy gut. – Megan Meyer – US News

The microbial death clock – Kai Kupferschmidt – Science
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March 14, 2016

Happy Pi day! I’m currently in Europe, so today is just 14-3 here. But microbiomes are everywhere, so here we go with bacterial vaginosis in Africa, biofilms of streams and hospital shower hoses, and fungi in Chinese oil-shale mines.

Human vaginal microbiome

Can one size fit all? Approach to bacterial vaginosis in sub-Saharan Africa – Zenda Woodman – Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials

Human gut microbiome

Review: The diet-microbiota-metabolite axis regulates the host physiology – Takahiro Yamada – Journal of Biochemistry

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

No difference in the competitive ability of introduced and native Trifolium provenances when grown with soil biota from their introduced and native ranges – Natasha Shelby – AOB Plants

Water microbiome

Review: The ecology and biogeochemistry of stream biofilms – Tom J. Battin – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Built environment microbiome

Characterization of biofilms developing on hospital shower hoses and implications for nosocomial infections – Maria J. Soto-Giron – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Pollution and waste microbiology

Fungal diversity in major oil-shale mines in China – Shaoyan Jiang – Journal of Environmental Sciences

More microbiology

How pneumococci lose their capsule – Andrea Du Toit – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Airplane lavatories that clean themselves? It’s happening – Karla Cripps – CNN

Self-Cleaning Airplane Toilets Are A Crappy Idea – Martin Rivers – Forbes

Fighting back from bacterial meningitis – Paul Sisson – San Diego Union Tribune

Artists create living paintings from glow-in-the-dark bacteria – Geraldine Cremin – Mashable

Deadly disease outbreak in Wisconsin baffles public health officials – Keren Landman – STAT news

Wisconsin Bacterial Infection: A Case Of The Rare Elizabethkingia – Xbox360

Is fermented food a recipe for good gut health? – Philippa Roxby – BBC

Stanford chemists develop an ultra-sensitive test for cancers, HIV – Bjorn Carey – Stanford News

Fake drugs in Nigeria: Imprisonment of 2:1 microbiology graduate – National Mirror Online

How Does Salmonella Get on Pistachios? – Linda Larsen – Food Poisoning Bulletin

How Gut Bacteria Are Shaking Up Cancer Research – Makiko Kitamura – Bloomberg

Science, publishing, and career

About Kate Rubins, who worked in our lab: Napa astronaut prepares for space station journey: four-month mission aboard ISS- Howard Yune – Napa Valley Register

The Subtle Ways Gender Gaps Persist in Science – Paul Voosen – Chronicle

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March 5, 2016

Lung microbes in Cystic Fibrosis, microbiota of reindeer, strawberry phyllosphere, and microbes in raindust.

Pregnancy and birth

Dynamics of Gut Microbiota According to the Delivery Mode in Healthy Korean Infants – Eun Lee- Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.

Review: Respiratory Microbiome of New-Born Infants – David J. Gallacher – Frontiers in Pediatrics

Review: Bosom Buddies: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Infants and Bifidobacterium longum ssp. longum and ssp. infantis. Genetic and Probiotic Features – Silvia Arboleya – Annual Review of Food Science and Technology

Review: Maternal microbiome – A pathway to preterm birth – Angela E. Vinturache – Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine

Human respiratory microbiome

Analysis of Lung Microbiota in Bronchoalveolar Lavage, Protected Brush and Sputum Samples from Subjects with Mild-To-Moderate Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease – Deborah A. Hogan – PLOS ONE

Human oral microbiome

Levels of Candidate Periodontal Pathogens in Subgingival Biofilm – R.R.D.S Oliveira – Journal of Dental Research

Human gut microbiome

Effects of plant stanol ester consumption on fasting plasma oxy(phyto)sterol concentrations as related to fecal microbiota characteristics – Sabine Baumgartner – The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Microbiome Survey of the Inflamed and Noninflamed Gut at Different Compartments Within the Gastrointestinal Tract of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients – Forbes, Jessica D. – Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Metagenomic evidence for taxonomic dysbiosis and functional imbalance in the gastrointestinal tracts of children with cystic fibrosis – Ohad Manor – Scientific Reports

Research highlight: Growth impairment in undernourished children – Claire Greenhill – Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Review: Elucidating the role of the host genome in shaping microbiome composition – Emily R. Davenport – Gut Microbes

Review: The Microbiome: A Key Regulator of Stress and Neuroinflammation – Kieran Rea – Neurobiology of Stress

Review: The Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis: What Role Does it Play in Autism Spectrum Disorder? – Ruth Ann Luna – Current Developmental Disorders Reports

Review: Microbes and the Mind: Emerging Hallmarks of the Gut Microbiota-Brain Axis – Kylynda C. Bauer – Cellular Microbiology

Review: The human gut microbiome and its dysfunctions through the meta-omics prism – Stanislas Mondot – Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Animal models

Age, introduction of solid feed and weaning are more important determinants of gut bacterial succession in piglets than breed and nursing mother as revealed by a reciprocal cross-fostering model – Gaorui Bian – Environmental Microbiology

Effects of environmental temperature on the gut microbial communities of tadpoles – Kevin D. Kohl – Environmental Microbiology

Apple-Derived Pectin Modulates Gut Microbiota, Improves Gut Barrier Function, and Attenuates Metabolic Endotoxemia in Rats with Diet-Induced Obesity – Tingting Jiang – MDPI Nutrients

The effects of fecal microbial transplantation on microbiome and immunity in SIV-infected macaques – Tiffany Hensley-McBain – Journal of Virology

Soy Protein Compared with Milk Protein in a Western Diet Increases Gut Microbial Diversity and Reduces Serum Lipids in Golden Syrian Hamsters – Dustie N Butteiger – Journal of Nutrition

Review: The interplay between intestinal bacteria and host metabolism in health and disease: lessons from Drosophila melanogaster – Adam C. N. Wong – Disease Models & Mechanisms

Animal microbiome

New Insights into the Microbiota of the Svalbard Reindeer Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus – Sylwia Zielińska – Frontiers in Microbiology

Geographically conserved microbiomes of four temperate water tunicates – Patrick L. Cahill – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Twenty five new viruses associated with the Drosophilidae (Diptera) – Claire L Webster – bioRxiv

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Soil Microbial Community Interactions Under Tillage Systems in Australia – Vivian A. Rincon-Florez – Plant, Soil and Microbes

Variation of Bacterial Community Diversity in Rhizosphere Soil of Sole-Cropped versus Intercropped Wheat Field after Harvest – Zhenping Yang – PLOS ONE

Dispersal of Bacillus subtilis and its effect on strawberry phyllosphere microbiota under open field and protection conditions – Feng Wei – Scientific Reports

Temporally Variable Geographical Distance Effects Contribute to the Assembly of Root-Associated Fungal Communities – Christopher J. Barnes – Frontiers in Microbiology

Elevation gradient of soil bacterial communities in bamboo plantations – Yu-Te Lin – Botanical Studies

Soil microbial functional capacity and diversity in a millet-shrub intercropping system of semi-arid Senegal – S. Diakhaté – Journal of Arid Environments

Bioaugmentation of microbes to restore coastal wetland plants to protect land from coastal erosion – Regina Bledsoe – International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation

Review: Nutrient scavenging activity and antagonistic factors of non-photobiont lichen-associated bacteria: a review – M. Auður Sigurbjörnsdóttir – World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

Water, rain, and extremophile microbiome

Remnants of marine bacterial communities can be retrieved from deep sediments in lakes of marine origin – Silke Langenheder – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Comparative summer dynamics of surface cyanobacterial communities in two connected lakes from the west of Ireland – N. Touzet – Science of The Total Environment

Dust Rains Deliver Diverse Assemblages of Microorganisms to the Eastern Mediterranean – Ghida Nouhad Itani – Scientific Reports

Protistan diversity and activity inferred from RNA and DNA at a coastal ocean site in the eastern North Pacific – Sarah K. Hu – FEMS Microbiology Ecology

A distinct and active bacterial community in cold oxygenated fluids circulating beneath the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic ridge – Julie L. Meyer – Scientific Reports

Biodigester microbiology

This one sounded wrong: Microbial diversity in an anaerobic digester with biogeographical proximity to geothermal active region – Rishi Mahajan – Environmental Technology

Food microbiology

Impact of mulches and growing season on indicator bacteria survival during lettuce cultivation – Aixia Xu – International Journal of Food Microbiology

Built environment microbiology

Seasonal Dynamics of the Airborne Bacterial Community and Selected Viruses in a Children’s Daycare Center – Aaron J. Prussin II – PLOS ONE

Bioweathering Potential of Cultivable Fungi Associated with Semi-Arid Surface Microhabitats of Mayan Buildings – Benjamín O. Ortega-Morales – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbiome of death

Review: The Thanatomicrobiome: A Missing Piece of the Microbial Puzzle of Death – Gulnaz T. Javan – Frontiers in Microbiology

Waste and pollution microbiology

Isolation and characterization of yeasts associated with plants growing in heavy-metal- and arsenic-contaminated soils – Juan Ramos-Garza – Canadian Journal of Microbiology

Review: Understanding the development of environmental resistance among microbes: A Review – Jatin Srivastava – CLEAN – Soil, Air, Water

Review: Microbial communities, processes and functions in acid mine drainage ecosystems – Lin-xing Chen – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Infection microbiology

Absence of Serological Evidence of Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Coxiella burnetii Infections in American Samoa – Colleen Lau – Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

Comparison between a Broad-Range Real-Time and a Broad-Range End-Point PCR Assays for the Detection of Bacterial 16S rRNA in Clinical Samples – Mariam Meddeb – Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

Capturing the most wanted taxa through cross-sample correlations – Mathieu Almeida – The ISME Journal

MEGAnnotator: a user-friendly pipeline for microbial genomes assembly and annotation
Gabriele Andrea Lugli – FEMS Microbiology Letters

Sequence techniques

Microbial Ecology in the Era of Next Generation Sequencing – Surajit De Mandal – Omics: Next Generation: Sequencing & Applications

Microbial Ecology

Microbes as Engines of Ecosystem Function: When Does Community Structure Enhance Predictions of Ecosystem Processes? – Emily B. Graham – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Would you try to vaginally “seed” your baby’s microbiome after a C-section – Jonathan Eisen – The Tree of Life

Science, publishing, and career

This Paper Should Not Have Been Retracted: #HandofGod highlights the worst aspects of science twitter – Andrew David Thaler – Southern Friend Science

The “Creator” paper, Post-pub Peer Review, and Racism Among Scientists – Dr24hours – Complex Roots

UC reclassifies master’s degrees, charges elevated tuition – Nanette Asimov – SF Chronicle

She Wanted to Do Her Research. He Wanted to Talk ‘Feelings.’ – A. Hope Jahren – NY Times

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March 3, 2016

Gut microbiome of Indian Nicobarese tribe, CDI patients’ stories about life before and after stool transplants, cryptic species in Nematoda, and similar fungi at opposite poles.

Pregnancy and birth

Review: The Developing Microbiome of the Preterm Infant – Mara E. DiBartolomeo – Clinical Therapeutics

Gut colonization by aerobic microorganisms is associated with route and type of nutrition in premature neonates – Ülle Parm – Nutrition Research

Human oral microbiome

Influence of a triclosan toothpaste on periodontopathic bacteria and periodontitis progression in cardiovascular patients: a randomized controlled trial – G. J. Seymour – Journal of Periodontal Research

Human respiratory microbiome

Review: Microbes and asthma: Opportunities for intervention – Hermelijn H. Smits – Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Understanding Persistent Bacterial Lung Infections: Clinical Implications Informed by the Biology of the Microbiota and Biofilms – Alexa A. Pragman – Clinical Pulmonary Medicine

Human gut microbiome

Elucidating the richness of bacterial groups in the gut of nicobarese tribal community – Perspective on their lifestyle transition – Maile Anwesh – Anaerobe

Resistant potato starches (type 4 RS) exhibit varying effects on laxation with and without phylum level changes in microbiota: A randomised trial in young adults – W.J. Dahl – Journal of Functional Foods

RecommendedFecal microbiota transplantation for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection: The patient experience – Amy L. Pakyz – American Journal of Infection Control

Analysis of Gut Microbiome Reveals Significant Differences Between Men with Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome and Controls – Daniel A. Shoskes – The Journal of Urology

RiMINI – the influence of rifaximin on minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and on the intestinal microbiome in patients with liver cirrhosis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial – Christian Schulz – BMC Trials

Editorial: Dysbiosis in fungal microbiota in IBD – Katrina Ray – Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Models of microbiome research

Functional characterization of inflammatory bowel disease-associated gut dysbiosis in gnotobiotic mice – Hiroko Nagao-Kitamoto – CMGH Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Effect of breast feeding time on physiological, immunological and microbial parameters of weaned piglets in an intensive breeding farm – G.R. García – Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology

Animal microbiome

Prevalence of potential nitrogen-fixing, green sulfur bacteria in the skeleton of reef-building coral Isopora palifera – Shan-Hua Yang – Limnology and Oceanography

An investigation of the microbiota in uterine flush samples and endometrial biopsies from dairy cows during the first 7 weeks postpartum – Lif Rødtness Vesterby Knudsen – Theriogenology

Coexisting cryptic species of the Litoditis marina complex (Nematoda) show differential resource use and have distinct microbiomes with high intraspecific variability – S Derycke – Molecular Ecology

Hologenome analysis of two marine sponges with different microbiomes – Taewoo Ryu – BMC Genomics

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Land use change in the Amazon rainforest favors generalist fungi – Rebecca C Mueller – Functional Ecology

Drivers of phosphorus limitation across soil microbial communities – Petr Čapek – Functional Ecology

Effects of changes in straw chemical properties and alkaline soils on bacterial communities engaged in straw decomposition at different temperatures – Guixiang Zhou – Scientific Reports

Soil pH is a Key Determinant of Soil Fungal Community Composition in the Ny-Ålesund Region, Svalbard (High Arctic) – Tao Zhang – Frontiers in Microbiology

Diversity of endophytic fungal and bacterial communities in Ilex paraguariensis grown under field conditions – María Laura Pérez – World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

Resolving evolutionary relationships in lichen-forming fungi using diverse phylogenomic datasets and analytical approaches – Steven D. Leavitt – Scientific Reports

Rhizosphere competence of wild-type and genetically-engineered Pseudomonas brassicacearum is affected by the crop species – Stacey Blouin Bankhead – Phytopathology

Actinorhizal Alder Phytostabilization Alters Microbial Community Dynamics in Gold Mine Waste Rock from Northern Quebec: A Greenhouse Study – Katrina L. Callender – PLOS ONE

Differences in soil micro-eukaryotic communities over soil pH gradients are strongly driven by parasites and saprotrophs – A. Ö. C. Dupont – Environmental Microbiology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Diazotroph community structure in the deep oxygen minimum zone of the Costa Rica Dome – Shunyan Cheung – Journal of Plankton Research

Not poles apart: Antarctic soil fungal communities show similarities to those of the distant Arctic – Filipa Cox – Ecology Letters

Food microbiology

Salmonella in Shell Eggs: Mechanisms, Prevention and Detection – Seockmo K – Omics Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences

Intensive aquaculture selects for increased virulence and interference competition in bacteria – Lotta-Riina Sundberg – Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Application of electrolyzed oxidizing water in production of radish sprouts to reduce natural microbiota – Chunling Zhang – Food Control

Biodiversity of culturable psychrotrophic microbiota in raw milk attributable to refrigeration conditions, seasonality and their spoilage potential – Nuwan R. Vithanage – International Dairy Journal

Microbiological characteristics of fresh tofu produced in small industrial scale and identification of specific spoiling microorganisms (SSO) – Franca Rossi – LWT – Food Science and Technology

Built Environment and Waste Microbiome

The efficacy of disinfectants in the decontamination of dental unit water lines: an in vitro laboratory study – Mrudula Patel – BDJ Open

Review: Bacterial communities in full-scale wastewater treatment systems – Agnieszka Cydzik-Kwiatkowska – World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

Preferential methanogenic biodegradation of short-chain n-alkanes by microbial communities from two different oil sands tailings ponds – Mohd Faidz Mohamad Shahimin – Science of The Total Environment

Microbes in space

Two older papers that showed up in my PubMed alert today:
Review: The Significance of Microbe-Mineral-Biomarker Interactions in the Detection of Life on Mars and Beyond – Wilfred F.M. Röling – Astrobiology
Microbial Ecology of a Crewed Rover Traverse in the Arctic: Low Microbial Dispersal and Implications for Planetary Protection on Human Mars Missions – Andrew C. Schuerger – Astrobiology

Phages and viruses

Diversity of phage infection types and associated terminology: the problem with “Lytic or Lysogenic” – Zack Hobbs – FEMS Microbiology Letters

Techniques

Effect of Freezing Conditions on Fecal Bacterial Composition in Pigs – Barbara U. Metzler-Zebeli – MDPI Animals

Microbes in the news

Astronaut Scott Kelly back on earth, Northwestern profs celebrate – Chicago Sun Times

Microbial Manifesto: The Global Push to Understand the Microbiome (Kavli Roundtable) – Alan Brown – Live Science

‘Gut’ bacteria may help put a kink in family obesity cycle – Science Codex

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March 2, 2016

Metagenomics of weight loss, and the microbiomes of pollen, offices, and Irish Lough Neagh.

Human respiratory microbiome

Alterations of the Nasopharyngeal Microbiota in Infants with Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator and Antibiotic Effects – Edith T. Zemanick – American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Human gut microbiome

Characterization of the Gut Microbial Community of Obese Patients Following a Weight-Loss Intervention Using Whole Metagenome Shotgun Sequencing – Sandrine Louis – PLOS ONE

Influence of the Biliary System on Biliary Bacteria Revealed by Bacterial Communities of the Human Biliary and Upper Digestive Tracts – Fuqiang Ye – PLOS ONE

Animal microbiome

Horizontal gene transfer from bacteria has enabled the plant-parasitic nematode Globodera pallida to feed on host-derived sucrose – Etienne G.J. Danchin – Molecular Biology and Evolution

Review: The interplay between intestinal bacteria and host metabolism in health and disease: lessons from Drosophila melanogaster – Adam C. N. Wong – Disease Models & Mechanisms

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Pollen-Associated Microbiome Correlates with Pollution Parameters and the Allergenicity of Pollen – Andrea Obersteiner – PLOS ONE

Built environment microbiome

Geography and location are the primary drivers of office microbiome composition – John Chase – PeerJ Preprint

Water microbiome

Commentary: Is El Niño a long-distance corridor for waterborne disease? – Jaime Martinez-Urtaza – Nature Microbiology

Viruses

Viruses’ origin could relate to the act of prey among primitive life forms during the old ages – Eslam Abbas – PeerJ Preprint

Metagenomic Characterisation of the Viral Community of Lough Neagh, the Largest Freshwater Lake in Ireland – Timofey Skvortsov – PLOS ONE

Microbial ecology

The impact of selection, gene conversion, and biased sampling on the assessment of microbial demography – Marguerite Lapierre – Molecular Biology and Evolution

Social amoebae trap and kill bacteria by casting DNA nets – Xuezhi Zhang – Nature Communications

Bioinformatics

LS3: A method for improving phylogenomic inferences when evolutionary rates are heterogeneous among taxa – Carlos J. Rivera-Rivera – Molecular Biology and Evolution

Microbes in the news

Bacteria or virus? New tests may identify what’s causing your infection – Fox News

El Niño Opens Up a Bridge for Bacteria to Travel Between Continents – Esther Inglis-Arkell – Gizmodo

Building Off NYC Subway Study, Consortium to Profile Metagenomes of Transit Systems in 45 Cities – Monica Heger – GenomeWeb

White House calls for microbiome science support – Stephen Daniells – Nutraingredients[hr]

February 29, 2016

Update March 2: reformatted to include hyperlinks.

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Regional Similarity and Consistent Patterns of Local Variation in Beach Sand Bacterial Communities throughout the Northern Hemisphere – Christopher Staley – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Into the deep: Evaluation of SourceTracker for assessment of faecal contamination of coastal waters – Rebekah Henry – Water Research

Pronounced daily succession of phytoplankton, archaea and bacteria following a spring bloom – David M. Needham – Nature Microbiology

Review: Microbial communities, processes and functions in acid mine drainage ecosystems – Lin-xing Chen – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Review: Microbial diversity and functional capacity in polar soils – Thulani Peter Makhalanyane – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Waste and pollution microbiology

Shifts in microbial communities in bioaugmented grease interceptors removing fat, oil, and grease (FOG) – Xia He – Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Built environment microbiome

Environmental Contamination in Households of Patients with Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection – Megan K. Shaughnessy – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Food microbiology

Improving functionality of chocolate: A review on probiotic, prebiotic, and/or synbiotic characteristics – Nevzat Konar – Trends in Food Science & Technology

More microbiology

Interaction of Candida albicans with host cells: virulence factors, host defense, escape strategies, and the microbiota – Sarah Höfs – Journal of Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Restoring healthy growth in infants – Andrea Du Toit – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Dangerous intestinal bacteria back in Amarillo – Angelica Brown – Newschannel10

Maine seed potato growers contend with new bacteria – Bangor Daily News

Halifax harbour bacteria ‘zapper’ to be shut off Tuesday – Heide Pearson – Global News CA

In-N-Out Vows To Remove Antibiotics From Meat To Save Us All From Drug Resistant “Superbugs” – Matt Tinoco – LAist

Science, publishing, and career

Pre- or post-publication peer review – Jon Tennant – Science Open

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February 22, 2016

Effect of oxylate on microbiome of an herbivorous woodrat, sequencing 16S rRNA genes with the PacBio SMRT, and big differences in soil diversity caused by choice of extraction method.

Animal models

Metagenomic analysis of rumen microbial population in dairy heifers fed a high grain diet supplemented with dicarboxylic acids or polyphenols – Roberta De Nardi – BMC Veterinary Research

Woodrat: The Effect of Dietary Oxalate on the Gut Microbiota of the Mammalian Herbivore Neotoma albigula – Aaron W. Miller – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Built environment microbiome

Complementary microorganisms in highly corrosive biofilms from an offshore oil production facility – Adrien Vigneron – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Dominant tree species and soil type affect fungal community structure in a boreal peatland forest – Hui Sun – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Review: A review of the environmental implications of in situ remediation by nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI): Behavior, transport and impacts on microbial communities – Emilie Lefevre – Science of the Total Environment

Water microbiome

Diversity, Productivity and Stability of an Industrial Microbial Ecosystem – Doruk Beyter – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Food microbiology

Illuminating Anaerobic Microbial Community and Co-occurrence Patterns across a Quality Gradient in Chinese Liquor Fermentation Pit Muds – Xiaolong Hu – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Techniques

Sequencing 16S rRNA gene fragments using the PacBio SMRT DNA sequencing system – Patrick D. Schloss – PeerJ

Estimates of the bacterial ribosome content and diversity in soils are significantly affected by different nucleic acid extraction methods – Pia K. Wüst – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

MetaCRAM: an integrated pipeline for metagenomic taxonomy identification and compression – Minji KimB – BMC ioinformatics

EXTRACT: interactive extraction of environment metadata and term suggestion for metagenomic sample annotation – Evangelos Pafilis – Database

More microbiology

Organization of DNA in a bacterial nucleoid – Michael Y. Tolstorukov – BMC Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Coevolution and the Microbiome – David Baltrus – My Chrobial Romance

Bacteria Are Present in Kidney Stones and May Contribute to Their Formation – Nationwide Children’s

Fatal disease by Salmonella bacteria killing California songbirds – Robert V. Boyd – Microcap Magazine

Synchrotron Being Used to Research Neutralizing Ulcer Bacteria – Adam Brilz
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February 19, 2016

My PhD anniversary today! Today I found papers on primary sclerosing cholangitis, fungi from goat guts, dispersal from biofilms.

Human gut microbiome

The gut microbial profile in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis is distinct from patients with ulcerative colitis without biliary disease and healthy controls – Martin Kummen – Gut

Review: Obesity, Asthma, and the Microbiome – Youngji Cho – Physiology

Microbiology of infection

Bacterial biofilm infection detected in breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma – Hu, Honghua – Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Animal models

Peripheral Lymphoid Volume Expansion and Maintenance Are Controlled by Gut Microbiota via RALDH+ Dendritic Cells – Zongde Zhang – Immunity

Important Metabolic Pathways and Biological Processes Expressed by Chicken Cecal Microbiota – Ondrej Polansky – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Lingonberries reduce atherosclerosis in Apoe-/- mice in association with altered gut microbiota composition and improved lipid profile – Chrysoula Matziouridou – Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

Emerging role of lipid droplets in Aedes aegypti immune response against bacteria and Dengue virus – Ana Beatriz Ferreira Barletta – Scientific Reports

Animal microbiome

GoatsEarly-branching gut fungi possess a large, comprehensive array of biomass-degrading enzymes – Kevin V. Solomon – Science

Identification of Specialists and Abundance-Occupancy Relationships among Intestinal Bacteria of Aves, Mammalia, and Actinopterygii – Hyatt C. Green – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Mucosal immunoglobulins at respiratory surfaces mark an ancient association that predates the emergence of tetrapods – Zhen Xu – Nature Communications

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Opposing phylogenetic diversity gradients of plant and soil bacterial communities – Marta Goberna – Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Water microbiome

Functional metagenomic screen reveals new and diverse microbial rhodopsins – Alina Pushkarev – The ISME Journal

Ultrafiltration and Microarray for Detection of Microbial Source Tracking Marker and Pathogen Genes in Riverine and Marine Systems – Xiang Li – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Pathogens in Ornamental Waters: A Pilot Study – Maria Nascimento – MDPI Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health

More Microbiology

What Makes a Bacterial Species Pathogenic? Comparative Genomic Analysis of the Genus Leptospira – Derrick E. Fouts – PLOS NTD

Go Forth and Colonize: Dispersal from Clinically Important Microbial Biofilms – Priya Uppuluri – PLOS Pathogens

Microbes in the news

Fungi from goats’ guts could lead to better biofuels – Matt McGrath – BBC News

Mapping the microbes in your mouth: We spoke to lead author Dr Gary Borisy about the research published in PNAS this month. – Microbe Post

Penn Study Reveals How Fish Control Microbes Through Their Gills – PennNews

93% of Israel’s Fresh Chicken Has Dangerous Bacteria (Campylobacter) – Forward

Electroporation 2.0: Breaking through the bacteria barrier: New microfluidic device may speed up DNA insertion in bacteria, the first step in genetic engineering – MIT News

Gut Microbes and Milk Compounds Tackle Childhood Malnutrition – Pat Bailey – UC Davis

Porcine Probiotic May Help Protect Gut Health – Susan Bubak – University of Guelph
Could Fecal Transplants From Rich Children Help Starving Kids in Africa? – Kari Paul – Motherboard

BiofilmDNA oral microbial salivary test to be launched by Oravital Inc. during 2016 Chicago Midwinter Meeting – DentistryIQ

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February 18, 2016

Two papers from the Gordon lab today about malnutrition and gut microbes, connecting gut microbes with host chitin, fur seals, and analyzing soil communities for forensic use.

Pregnancy and birth

(partly in miceGut bacteria that prevent growth impairments transmitted by microbiota from malnourished children – Laura V. Blanton – Science

Sialylated Milk Oligosaccharides Promote Microbiota-Dependent Growth in Models of Infant Undernutrition – Mark R. Charbonneau – Cell

Editorial: The right gut microbes help infants grow – Elizabeth Pennisi – Science

Stool bacterial load in preterm infants with necrotising enterocolitis – Bashir Abdulkadir – Early Human Development

Detection and sequencing of Zika virus from amniotic fluid of fetuses with microcephaly in Brazil: a case study – Guilherme Calvet – The Lancet Infectious Diseases

Human gut microbiome

Gut Microbiota Predict Pulmonary Infiltrates After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation – Bianca Harris – Am J Respir Crit Care Med

Members of the Intestinal Microbiota Are Associated with Relapse after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation – Jonathan U. Peled – Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Conference abstract: Fecal Microbiota Transplant Is a Potentially Safe and Effective Treatment for Clostridium Difficile Infection in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Recipients – Shannon Falconer – Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

The impact of gut colonization by antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation: a retrospective, single-center study – Jaroslaw Bilinski – Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

 

PhD Thesis: Temporal Modulation of Gut Microbiome and Metabolome by Morphine – Fuyuan Wang – University of Minnesota

Research highlight: Frailty associated with gut microbiota – Iain Dickson – Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Review: Exploring the Microbiome in Heart Failure – Takeshi Kitai – Current Heart Failure Reports

Perspective: The microbiome and development of allergic disease – Susan V. Lynch – Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Hypothesis: The gut microbiota: A puppet master in the pathogenesis of endometriosis? – Matthias W. Laschke – American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Editorial: Microbiota, Obesity and Malnutrition – Didier Raoult – Microbial Pathogenesis

Review: Protective and Pro-Inflammatory Roles of Intestinal Bacteria – Cynthia Reinoso Webb – Pathophysiology

Models of microbiome

Mice: Hepatic circadian clock oscillators and nuclear receptors integrate microbiome-derived signals – Alexandra Montagner – Scientific Reports

Lactobacillus plantarum strain maintains growth of infant mice during chronic undernutrition – Martin Schwarzer – Science

Mice: Butyrate production from high-fiber diet protects against lymphoma tumor – Wei Wei – Leukemia & Lymphoma

Drosophila: Sex difference in pathology of the ageing gut mediates the greater response of female lifespan to dietary restriction – Jennifer C Regan – eLIFE

Mice: Treatment with a Monoclonal Anti-IL-12p40 Antibody Induces Substantial Gut Microbiota Changes in an Experimental Colitis Model – Josué Castro-Mejía – Gastroenterology Research and Practice

Mice: Diets enriched with cranberry beans alter the microbiota and mitigate colitis severity and associated inflammation – Jennifer M. Monk – The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry

Research Highlight: Microbiota promote gut healing – Hugh Thomas – Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Animal microbiome

Gut immunity in a protochordate involves a secreted immunoglobulin-type mediator binding host chitin and bacteria – Larry J. Dishaw – Nature Communications

Characterisation of the faecal bacterial community of wild young South American (Arctocephalus australis) and Subantarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus tropicalis) – Aline Weber Medeiros – FEMS Microbiology Ecology

16S rRNA amplicon sequencing for epidemiological surveys of bacteria in wildlife: the importance of cleaning post-sequencing data before estimating positivity, prevalence and co-infection – Maxime Galan – bioRxiv

Nestedness of hoopoes’ bacterial communities: symbionts from the uropygial gland to the eggshell – Juan J. Soler – Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Biogeographic Patterns Between Bacterial Phyllosphere Communities of the Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) in a Small Forest – Bram W. G. Stone – Microbial Ecology

Culturable endophytic bacteria from the salt marsh plant Halimione portulacoides: phylogenetic diversity, functional characterization, and influence of metal(loid) contamination – Cátia Fidalgo – Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Next-Generation Sequencing of the Bacterial 16S rRNA Gene for Forensic Soil Comparison: A Feasibility Study – Ellen M. Jesmok – Journal of Forensic Sciences

Water microbiome

Sediments and Soils Act as Reservoirs for Taxonomic and Functional Bacterial Diversity in the Upper Mississippi River – Christopher Staley – Microbial Ecology

The Influence of Time and Plant Species on the Composition of the Decomposing Bacterial Community in a Stream Ecosystem – Adam S. Wymore – Microbial Ecology

Built environment microbiome

Commentary: Making microbiology of the built environment relevant to design – G. Z. Brown – Microbiome

Food microbiology

Changes of microbial spoilage, lipid-protein oxidation and physicochemical properties during post mortem refrigerated storage of goat meat – Azad Behnan Sabow – Animal Science Journal

Metagenomic analysis of a Mexican ripened cheese reveals a unique complex microbiota – Alejandra Escobar-Zepeda – Food Microbiology

Bioinformatics

An analysis of human microbe–disease associations – Wei Ma – Briefings in Bioinformatics

FN-Identify: Novel Restriction Enzymes-Based Method for Bacterial Identification in Absence of Genome Sequencing – Mohamed Awad – Advances in Bioinformatics

Microbial ecology

Capturing the Dynamic, Heterogeneous Response of Microbes to their Environment in the Human Microbiome – Julie Biteen – Biophysical Journal

Perspective: Microbial community modeling using reliability theory – Julie L Zilles – The ISME Journal

Microbes in the news

Could the right gut microbes help fight childhood malnutrition? – Rachel Feltman – Washington Post

Breast Milk Sugars Support Infant Gut Health – Anna Azvolinsky – The Scientist

Targeting gut microbes may reverse effects of childhood malnutrition
Healthy microbes, breast milk component suggest new treatment approach, mouse study shows – Julie Evangelou Strait – Washington University

How Microbes Make Malnutrition Worse. And how they can be marshaled to fight it – Ed Yong – The Atlantic

 

The Mushroom Death Suit is the latest in post-mortem, eco-friendly fashion – Atlas Obscura

Through Metagenomics Analysis, Researchers Uncover Zika Virus Genome in Amniotic Fluid – Genome Web

What’s bugging you now? The amazing potential of our bodies’ own bacteria – Trisha Macnair – Spectator Health

Gut bacteria may be the difference between well-fed and malnourished – Jacob Kastrenakes – The Verge

Creative Minds: Bacteria, Gene Swaps, and Human Cancer, featuring Julie Dunning Hotopp – Francis Collins – NIH Director’s Blog

This Startup Wants to Use Bacteria to Revolutionize How Our Food Is Produced – Beth Kowitt – Fortune

Bacteria Hysteria

Dad warns parents about Sistema Twist ‘N’ Sip drink bottles ‘hoarding bacteria’ – Stuff

Breast Milk Bought Online May Contain Bacteria That Could Harm Your Child, Investigation Finds – Inside Edition

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