January 26, 2017

Environmental ecology review presents how microbial life strategy concepts are applied in complex microbial communities.   Two interesting model systems are described in the techniques section, plus potentially scalable workflow for the preparation of high potency Akkermansia muciniphila cells for therapeutic interventions.  The importance of understanding the role of the microbiome in preventing complications after organ transplant and surgeries are discussed in two reviews.   Another study shows that proton pump inhibitors used to prevent gastric ulcers were associated with distinct gut microbiota signatures.  For faster wound healing, try some saliva. A study shows the beneficial effects of saliva on wound healing in human epidermal keratinocytes and on the attenuation of intracellular Staph. aureus infection.

Pregnancy and early life

Assessment of the synbiotic properties of human milk oligosaccharides and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis in vitro and in humanised mice – S Musilova- Beneficial Microbes

Multi-site human microbiome

Review: Infection in Organ Transplantation – Jay A. Fishman – American Journal of Transplantation

Review: The gut microbiome and the mechanism of surgical infection – J.C. Alverdy – The British Journal of Surgery

Human Oral Microbiome

Salivary mucins promote the coexistence of competing oral bacterial species – Erica Shapiro Frenke- The ISME Journal

Human skin microbiome

Saliva induces expression of antimicrobial peptides and promotes intracellular killing of bacteria in keratinocytes by epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation – T. Mohanty – British Journal of Dermatology

Human gut microbiome

The influence of proton pump inhibitors and other commonly used medication on the gut microbiota – Floris Imhann – Gut Microbes

Animal experiments

Review: Understanding host-microbial interactions in rumen: searching the best opportunity for microbiota manipulation – Nilusha Malmuthuge  – Journal of Animal Science and Technology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Review: Revisiting life strategy concepts in environmental microbial ecology – Adrian Ho- FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Diclofop-methyl affects microbial rhizosphere community and induces systemic acquired resistance in rice – Si Chen – Journal of Environmental Sciences

Food microbiology

Review: Human pathogens in plant biofilms: Formation, physiology, and detection – Eduardo Ximenes – Biotechnology and Bioengineering

Genome-wide association of functional traits linked with Campylobacter jejuni survival from farm to fork -Koji Yahara – Environmental Microbiology

Digestive fate of dietary carrageenan: Evidence of interference with digestive proteolysis and disruption of gut epithelial function – Lulu Fahoum – Molecular Nutrition Food Research

Bioinformatics

It’s a big data problem: researchers from the University of California, San Diego and the J.C. Venter Institute used machine learning to teach a computer to learn to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy gut microbiomes. The new approach shows promise for predicting related health issues and providing guidance for therapy development. More from the press

Techniques

Preparation and preservation of viable Akkermansia muciniphila cells for therapeutic interventions – JP Ouwerkerk  -Beneficial Microbes

Evaluation of colonization resistance in stool of human donors using ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo assays – MF Galvão  – Beneficial Microbes

Improving metabolite production in microbial co-cultures using a spatially constrained hydrogel – Matthew J. Smith – Biotechnology and Bioengineering

Microbes in the news

CRISPR research institute expands into agriculture, microbiology

Dog obesity, a growing problem, may be managed through diet and exercise and- microbiology

Every surfer knows you should stay out of the water for 72 hours after it rains. Public health officials issued an advisory for all Los Angeles County beaches, cautioning swimmers and surfers to stay away from areas near storm drains, creeks and rivers. But when the waves show – some surfers just can’t help themselves.

January 20, 2017

Infant formula with prebiotics and probiotics, acne vulgaris and staphylococcus, IBD and anti-CTLA-4 connected to the flora, protein kinase C δ and prebiotic required to strengthen intestinal epithelial barrier function. 

Events and jobs

Postdoctoral position in immunology to study host-gut microbiota interactions– University of Arizona

Research Engineer in Microbiology– l’Oréal

MICROBIOLOGY SUPERVISOR– via a Large US Medical Device company in Limerick

General microbiome

*A Review: The human microbiome and cancer-Seesandra V Rajagopala-AARC Publications

Pregnancy and early life

Oral Microbiota in Infants Fed a Formula Supplemented with Bovine Milk Fat Globule Membranes – A Randomized Controlled Trial– Niklas Timby- PLoS One

Acquisition and adaptation of the airway microbiota in the early life of cystic fibrosis patients– Sebastien Boutin- Molecular and Cellular Pediatrics

Early Benefits of a Starter Formula Enriched in Prebiotics and Probiotics on the Gut Microbiota of Healthy Infants Born to HIV+ Mothers: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial-Peter Cooper- Clinical Medicine Insights: Pediatrics

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

Oral Microbiota

Evaluating the Impact of DNA Extraction Method on the Representation of Human Oral Bacterial and Fungal Communities-Anna Vesty- PLuS One

Salivary Gluten Degradation and Oral Microbial Profiles in Health and Celiac Disease– Na Tian- Applied Environmental Microbiology

Human respiratory microbiome

*Review: Microbiomes in respiratory health and disease: An Asia-Pacific perspective– Sanjay H. Chotirmall- Official Journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology

Human skin microbiome

The Role of Cutaneous Microbiota Harmony in Maintaining a Functional Skin Barrier-Hilary Baldwin- Journal of Drugs in Dermatology

Skin microbiome and acne vulgaris: staphylococcus, a new actor in acne– Brigitte Dreno- Experimental Dermatology

Human vaginal microbiome

Subclinical Alteration of the Cervical-Vaginal Microbiome in Women with Idiopathic Infertility– Giuseppina Campisciano- Journal of Cellular Physiology

Human gut microbiome

Intestinal Bacteria Composition and Translocation of Bacteria in Inflammatory Bowel Disease– Spyros Vrakas- PLoS One

*Review- The Gastrointestinal Tract as a Key Target Organ for the Health-Promoting Effects of Dietary Proanthocyanidins– Maria Jose Cires- frontiers in Nutrition

Association of the Intestinal Microbiome with the Development of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration– Martin S. Zinkernagel- Scientific Reports

*Review: Inflammatory bowel disease and cancer response due to anti-CTLA-4: is it in the flora?-Franck Carbonnel- Seminars in immunopathology

Animal experiments

ZiBuPiYin recipe improves cognitive decline by regulating gut microbiota in Zucker diabetic fatty rats– Gu Chunyan – Oncotarget

Animal microbiome

Unique Bacteria Community Composition and Co-occurrence in the Milk of Different Ruminants– Li Zhipeng- Scientific Reports

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Mycorrhizal specificity does not limit the distribution of an endangered orchid species- Michael Waud – Molecular Ecology

Exploring the symbiont diversity of ancient western redcedars: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of long-lived hosts– Monika A. Gorzelak- Molecular Ecology

Probiotics / prebiotics

Protein kinase C δ signaling is required for dietary prebiotic-induced strengthening of intestinal epithelial barrier function– Richard Y. Wu- Scientific Reports

Antioxidant properties and global metabolite screening of the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii– Suprama Datta- Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

Bioinformatics

Rhea: a transparent and modular R pipeline for microbial profiling based on 16S rRNA gene amplicons– Illias Lagkouvardos- PeerJ

Microbes on the market

FishTaco: Systematic Characterization and Analysis of the Taxonomic Drivers of Functional Shifts in the Human Microbiome– Ohad Manor

January 16, 2017

Environmental pollutants have become an increasingly common health hazard. The possible effects of environmental pollutants on gut microbiota and their subsequent effects on health is discussed in highlighted review.

Pregnancy and early life

Antibiotics in Pregnancy Increase Children’s Risk of Otitis Media and Ventilation Tubes – Tine Marie Pedersen – The journal of Pediatrics

Human skin microbiome

Insights into the mast cell–microbiome connection in the skin – Alon Y. Hershko – Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Microbiota fingerprints lose individually identifying features over time – David Wilkins – Microbiome

Human vaginal microbiome

Association between preterm labor and genitourinary tract infections caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, Gram-negative bacilli, and coryneforms – Alaa El-Dien M.S. Hosny – Journal of the Chinese Medical Association

The Vaginal Microbiota and Urinary Tract Infection – Ann E. Stapleton – Microbiol Spectrum

Human nearly-sterile sites 

Metabolic profiles of exudates from chronic leg ulcerations – Adam Junka – Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

Human oral microbiome

Review: Ecology of the Oral Microbiome: Beyond Bacteria – Jonathon L. Baker – Trends in Microbiology

On-going Mechanical Damage from Mastication Drives Homeostatic Th17 Cell Responses at the Oral Barrier – Nicolas Dutzan – Immunity

Salivary Gluten Degradation and Oral Microbial Profiles in Health and Celiac Disease – Na Tian  – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Human gut microbiome

Expert review: Management of Clostridium difficile Infection in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Expert Review from the Clinical Practice Updates Committee of the AGA Institute – Sahil Khanna – Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology

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

Impact of dietary pattern of the fecal donor on in vitro fermentation properties of whole grains and brans – Sandrayee Brahma – Journal of Functional Foods

Review: The role of the gut microbiota in sepsis – Bastiaan W Haak – The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Gut microbiota interactions with the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D in normal individuals – Renata V. Luthold – Metabolism

Angelakisella massiliensis” gen. nov., sp. nov., a new bacterial species isolated from human ileum – Morgane Mailhe – New Microbes and New Infections

Helicobacter pylori–related metabolic syndrome as predictor of progression to esophageal carcinoma in a subpopulation-based Barrett’s esophagus cohort – Jannis Kountouras – Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Impact of dietary pattern of the fecal donor on in vitro fermentation properties of whole grains and brans – Sandrayee Brahma – Journal of Functional Foods

Absence of intestinal microbiota increases ß-cyclodextrin stimulated reverse cholesterol transport – Rima H. Mistry – Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

European consensus conference on faecal microbiota transplantation in clinical practice – Giovanni Cammarota – Gut
Animal experiments

Gd-DTPA-induced dynamic metabonomic changes in rat biofluids – Chuanling Wan – Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Increasing dietary nitrate has no effect on cancellous bone loss or fecal microbiome in ovariectomized rats – Melissa N. Conley – Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

Animal microbiome

Improved growth rate and disease resistance in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, by probiotic Lactococcus lactis WFLU12 isolated from wild marine fish – Thanh Luan Nguyen – Aquaculture

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

The effects of tree species and substrate on carbon sequestration and chemical and biological properties in reforested post-mining soils – Agnieszka Józefowska – Geoderma

Impacts of inorganic and organic fertilization treatments on bacterial and fungal communities in a paddy soil – Jichen Wang – Applied Soil Ecology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Effects of the halophilic fungi Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Wallemia sebi, Aureobasidium pullulans and Aspergillus nidulans on halite formed on sandstone surface – Maisa M.A. Mansour – International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation

Epiphytic Planctomycetes communities associated with three main groups of macroalgae – Joana Bondoso – FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Floc formation reduces the pH stress experienced by microorganisms living in alkaline environments -C.J. Charles – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Capturing compositional variation in denitrifying communities: A multiple primer approach that includes autotrophic denitrifying Epsilonproteobacteria – S.A. Murdock  – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Waste and pollution microbiology

Review: Aerobic and anaerobic fungal metabolism and Omics insights for increasing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons biodegradation – Sevcan Aydin – Fungal Biology Reviews

Built environment 

Biological invasion in the indoor environment: the spread of Eurotium halophilicum on library materials – Andrea Polo – International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation

Review: Integrated management of the risks of stored grain spoilage by seedborne fungi and contamination by storage mould mycotoxins – An update – Francis Fleurat-Lessard – Journal of Stored Products Research

Food microbiology

Impact of environmental conditions and process modifications on microbial diversity, fermentation efficiency and chemical profile during the fermentation of mezcal in Oaxaca – Manuel R. Kirchmayr – LWT – Food Science and Technology

Anti-aging and redox state regulation effects of A-type proanthocyanidins-rich cranberry concentrate and its comparison with grape seed extract in mice – Jingjing Jiao – Journal of Functional Foods

Probiotics / prebiotics

Probiotic mixture improves fatty liver disease by virtue of its action on lipid profiles, leptin, and inflammatory biomarkers – Hessah Mohammed Al-muzafar – BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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 8, 2017

Human mouth microbiome

Comparison of sputum microbiome of legionellosis-associated patients and other pneumonia patients: indications for polybacterial infections – Hila Mizrahi – Scientific Reports

Human reproductive tract microbiome

Investigation of the microbiota of the reproductive tract in women undergoing a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy – Shana M. Miles – Fertility and Sterility

Human skin microbiome

Review: Performing Skin Microbiome Research: A Method to the Madness – Heidi H. Kong – Journal of Investigative Dermatology

Human gut microbiome

Sleeve gastrectomy drives persistent shifts in the gut microbiome – Cyrus Jahansouz – Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases

Review: Gut microbiota in vascular disease: Therapeutic target? – Anbazhagan AN – Current Vascular Pharmacology

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

Reviews in Gastroenterology Clinics of North America
Diet and the Microbiome – Nida Murtaza
The Gut Microbiota in Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Donal Sheehan
The Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Disease – Timothy G. Dinan
Biology of the Microbiome : Interactions with the Host Immune Response – Sylwia Smolinska
Biology of the Microbiome 2: Metabolic Role – Jia V. Li

Animal experiments

Structural and functional alterations in the colonic microbiome of the rat in a model of stress induced irritable bowel syndrome – Nicolaas H Fourie – Gut Microbes

Animal microbiome

Greater Species Richness of Bacterial Skin Symbionts Better Suppresses the Amphibian Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis – Jonah Piovia-Scott – Microbial Ecology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Namib Desert edaphic bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities assemble through deterministic processes but are influenced by different abiotic parameters – Riegardt M. Johnson – Extremophiles

Plant Community Richness Mediates Inhibitory Interactions and Resource Competition between Streptomyces and Fusarium Populations in the Rhizosphere – Adil Essarioui – Microbial Ecology

Changes in Soil Fungal Community Structure with Increasing Disturbance Frequency – Hyunjun Cho – Microbial Ecology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Effect of salinity on mercury methylating benthic microbes and their activities in Great Salt Lake, Utah – Eric S. Boyd – Science of the Total Environment

Waste and pollution microbiology

Low temperature MBBR nitrification: Microbiome analysis – Bradley Young – Water Research

Microbes in space

MELiSSA the minimal biosphere: Human life, waste and refuge in deep space – Jeremy Walker – Future

Metabolomics

Bacterial Signaling to the Nervous System via Toxins and Metabolites – Nicole J. Yang – Journal of Molecular Biology

Bioinformatics

An Informative Approach on Differential Abundance Analysis for Time-course Metagenomic Sequencing Data – Dan Luo – Bioinformatics

Microbial ecology

Cheating fosters species co-existence in well-mixed bacterial communities – Anne Leinweber – ISME Journal

Microbes in the news

Life after death: the science of human decomposition – Mo Costandi

Japan’s fantastic emerald green algae. These great balls of fuzz, look lovely, are zero maintenance and keep water clean – James Wong

Cavities Are Contagious: Kissing And 3 Other Ways Harmful Bacteria Spreads And Causes Tooth Decay – Lizette Borreli – Medical Daily

Same bacteria found in Indian River Lagoon killed 10 in Florida in 2016 | Map – Tyler Treadway – TC Palm

Wake up, wipe out: How oxygen can help take down antiobiotic-resistant bacteria – Cordis

Your child’s microbiome, and why its health matters – Jennifer Graham – The Washington Times

January 3, 2017

Denture microbiome, insulin resistance and appendix microbiome in obesity, raw milk microbiome, subtropical forest soils, biofilms in drinking water systems, metabolomics of a Mediterranean diet, cell shape and biofilms.

Human oral microbiome

The Denture-Associated Oral Microbiome in Health and Stomatitis – Baochen Shi – mSphere

Commentary: A novel strategy for diagnosing viral versus bacterial infection: implications for oral diseases – Nataly Kravchenko-Balasha – Oral Diseases

Human gut microbiome

*  Insulin resistance is associated with specific gut microbiota in appendix samples from
morbidly obese patients – Isabel Moreno-Indias – American Journal of Translational Research

Microbiology of nearly sterile sites

Improving molecular diagnosis of neonatal septicaemia: Comparative evaluation of different protocols for extraction of bacterial and fungal DNA from blood samples – Gargi Dangre-Mudey – International Journal of Current Research in Medical Sciences

Animal microbiome

Impacts of Seasonal Housing and Teat Preparation on Raw Milk Microbiota: a High-Throughput Sequencing Study – Conor J. Doyle – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Biogeography and molecular diversity of coral symbionts in the genus Symbiodinium around the Arabian Peninsula – Maren Ziegler – Journal of Biogeography

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Colonization and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in maize roots at different depths in the soil profile respond differently to phosphorus inputs on a long-term experimental site – Chao Wang – Mycorrhiza

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition is altered by long-term litter removal but not litter addition in a lowland tropical forest – Merlin Sheldrake – New Phytologist

Modeling of mineral nutrient uptake of spruce tree roots as affected by the ion dynamics in the rhizosphere: Upscaling of model results to field plot scale – H. Nietfeld – Ecological Modelling

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

 

Altered precipitation seasonality impacts the dominant fungal but rare bacterial taxa in subtropical forest soils – Qian Zhao – Biology and Fertility of Soils

Cultivable bacterial communities associated with roots of rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) with the potential to contribute to plant growth – Thais Freitas da Silva – Applied Soil Ecology

Isolation of Soil and Endophytic Fungi from Rice (Oryza sativa L.) – Thianrat Leewijit – Journal of Agricultural Technology

Effects of Dry and Wet Sieving of Soil on Identification and Interpretation of Microbial Community Composition – A. Blaud – Advances in Agronomy

Book chapter: The Significance of Plant-Associated Microbial Rhizosphere for the Degradation of Xenobiotic Compounds – Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal – Plant Responses to Xenobiotics

Review: Plant Communication With Associated Microbiota in the Spermosphere, Rhizosphere and Phyllosphere – P. Lemanceau – Advances in Botanical Research

Review: Plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria: Biocontrol potential for pathogens – Roomina Mazhar – Pure Appl Biol

Water and extremophile microbiome

* Spatial and temporal analogies in microbial communities in natural drinking water biofilms – I. Douterelo – Science of The Total Environment

Metagenomic Analysis of Hot Springs in Central India Reveals Hydrocarbon Degrading Thermophiles and Pathways Essential for Survival in Extreme Environments – Rituja Saxena – Frontiers in Microbiology

Response of the microbial community to bioturbation by benthic macrofauna on intertidal flats – Hui Shen – Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

Review: Biotechnological Applications of Marine Enzymes From Algae, Bacteria, Fungi, and Sponges – S. Parte – Advances in Food and Nutrition Research

Waste and pollution microbiology

Inhibitory effects of sodium azide on microbial growth in experimental resuspension of marine sediment – Cabrol Léa – Journal of Microbiological Methods

Effect of various chemical oxidation agents on soil microbial communities – Eva Kakosová – Chemical Engineering Journal

Shifts in microbial community structure and function in surface waters impacted by unconventional oil and gas wastewater revealed by metagenomics – N.L. Fahrenfeld – Science of the Total Environment

Changes in the microbial community during bioremediation of gasoline-contaminated soil – Aline Jaime Leal – Brazilian Journal of Microbiology

Performance and microbial communities of completely autotrophic denitrification in a bioelectrochemically-assisted constructed wetland system for nitrate removal – Dan Xu – Bioresource Technology

Screening selectively harnessed environmental microbial communities for biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in moving bed biofilm reactors – Marc A. Demeter – Bioresource Technology

Review: Resource recovery from wastewater by biological technologies: opportunities, challenges and prospects – Daniel Puyol – Frontiers in Microbiology

Fungi

A Review of the Ubiquity of Ascomycetes Filamentous Fungi in Relation to Their Economic and Medical Importance – Mary Augustina Egbuta – Advances in Microbiology

Phages

Editorial: Filamentous Bacteriophage in Bio/Nano/Technology, Bacterial Pathogenesis and Ecology – Jasna Rakonjac – Frontiers in Microbiology

Metabolomics

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet influences the fecal metabolic profile of microbial-derived phenolics in a Spanish cohort of middle-age and older people – Isabel Gutiérrez-Díaz – Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

MASTR-MS: a web-based collaborative laboratory information management system (LIMS) for metabolomics – Adam Hunter – Metabolomics

More microbiology

* Cell morphology drives spatial patterning in microbial communities – William P. J. Smith – PNAS

Microbes in the news

A Gut Makeover for the New Year – Roni Caryn Rabin – The New York Times

Keys plan field trial for bacteria-infected mosquitoes – Associated Press

Salmonella bacteria threatens Mudumalai: cattle and elephants died – Times of India

How your gut’s circadian rhythm affects your whole body – Richard G. “Bugs” Stevens – The Conversation

Eat Dirt… It’s Good For You (So Are Worms) – Tanya Mead – The Alternative Daily

December 27, 2016

Cockatiel microbiome, a hibernating frog, Baltic Sea, a book about starter cultures, microbial divisions of labor.

Human oral/respiratory microbiome

Mycobiome in the Lower Respiratory Tract – a Clinical Perspective – Robert Krause – Frontiers in Microbiology

Review: A Review of Analytical Techniques and Their Application in Disease Diagnosis in Breathomics and Salivaomics Research – David J. Beale – Int J Mol Sci

Human gut microbiome

Impact of Amoxicillin/Clavulanate and Autologous Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) on the Fecal Microbiome and Resistome – Christopher Bulow – Open Forum Infectious Diseases

Review: The Development of Our Organ of Other Kinds—The Gut Microbiota – Shirong Liu – Frontiers in Microbiology

Review: Food Additives and Contaminants: Effects on Human Gut Microbiota—A Review – Paula Roca-Saavedra – Preprints

Animal experiments

Generation of Germ-Free Ciona intestinalis for Studies of Gut-Microbe Interactions – Brittany A. Leigh – Frontiers in Microbiology

Review: Emerging Sponge Models of Animal-Microbe Symbioses – Lucia Pita – Frontiers in Microbiology

Animal microbiome

Exploring the methanogen and bacterial communities of rumen environments: solid adherent, fluid and epimural – Thijs De Mulder – FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Diversity of the Bacterial Microbiota of Anopheles Mosquitoes from Binh Phuoc Province, Vietnam – Chung T. Ngo – Frontiers in Microbiology

Evaluating the Contribution of Gut Microbiota to the Variation of Porcine Fatness with the Cecum and Fecal Samples – Maozhang He – Frontiers in Microbiology

* Exploring the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) fecal microbiome, bacterial inhabitants of a worldwide pet – Luis David Alcaraz – PeerJ

* Functional analysis for gut microbes of the brown tree frog (Polypedates megacephalus) in artificial hibernation – Francis Cheng-Hsuan Weng – BMC Genomics

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Long-term effects of aided phytostabilization on microbial communities of metal-contaminated mine soil– Olatz Garaiyurrebaso – FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Dynamics in the Strawberry Rhizosphere Microbiome in Response to Biochar and Botrytis cinerea Leaf Infection – Caroline De Tender – Frontiers in Microbiology

Expanding the Repertoire of Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Metallo-ß-Lactamases by Functional Metagenomic Analysis of Soil Microbiota – Dereje D. Gudeta – Frontiers in Microbiology

High Diversity of Planctomycetes in Soils of Two Lichen-Dominated Sub-Arctic Ecosystems of Northwestern Siberia – Anastasia A. Ivanova – Frontiers in Microbiology

Editorial: Microbiota of Grapes: Positive and Negative Role on Wine Quality – Giuseppe Spano – Frontiers in Microbiology

Aspect has a greater impact on alpine soil bacterial community structure than elevation – Jieyun Wu – FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Local Environmental Conditions Shape Generalist But Not Specialist Components of Microbial Metacommunities in the Baltic Sea – Markus V. Lindh – Frontiers in Microbiology

A High-Level Fungal Diversity in the Intertidal Sediment of Chinese Seas Presents the Spatial Variation of Community Composition – Wei Li – Frontiers in Microbiology

Viral induced microbial mortality in Arctic hypersaline spring sediments – Jesse Colangelo-Lillis – Frontiers in Microbiology

Stable and Variable Parts of Microbial Community in Siberian Deep Subsurface Thermal Aquifer System Revealed in a Long-Term Monitoring Study – Yulia A. Frank – Frontiers in Microbiology

Marine Subsurface Microbial Community Shifts Across a Hydrothermal Gradient in Okinawa Trough Sediments – Leah D. Brandt – Archaea

Waste and pollution microbiology

Temporal dynamics of microbial communities in microcosms in response to pollutants – Shuo Jiao – Molecular Ecology

Cultural heritage microbiology

Sloth: Survey of the state of conservation of the Mylodon listai (Xenarthra-Mylodontidae) skin fragment from the Pleistocene of Argentina kept at the Museum of La Plata (Argentina) – Daniela Silvana Nitiu – Ge-conservación

Food microbiology

* Book: Starter Cultures in Food Production – Barbara Speranza

Biofilm microbiome

Molecular methods resolve the bacterial composition of natural marine biofilms on galvanically coupled stainless steel cathodes – Athenia L. Oldham – Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

Characterization of Uncultured Genome Fragment from Soil Metagenomic Library Exposed Rare Mismatch of Internal Tetranucleotide Frequency – Yunpeng Liu – Frontiers in Microbiology

RiboTagger: fast and unbiased 16S/18S profiling using whole community shotgun metagenomic or metatranscriptome surveys – Chao Xie – BMC Bioinformatics

More microbiology

Review: Chronic infections with viruses or parasites: breaking bad to make good – Andrew Godkin – Immunology

Biocontrol of Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria and bacterial phytopathogens by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus – Damian McNeely – Canadian Journal of Microbiology

Fitness Impact of Obligate Intranuclear Bacterial Symbionts Depends on Host Growth Phase – Chiara Bella – Frontiers in Microbiology

* Review: Understanding Microbial Divisions of Labor – Zheren Zhang – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbes in the news

How Does a Fatty Acid Protect Pathogenic Bacteria Against Antibiotics? – Nicola M. Parry – Contagion Live

How Microcosms help us understand ecology – James MacDonald – JSTOR Daily

Takuji Yamada – Early cancer intervention with gut bacteria – Tokyo Tech Researchers

How Probiotics Could Help Prevent Atopic Dermatitis – Kenneth Bender – Specialty Pharmacy Times

December 26, 2016

Prevotella and host genetics’ roles in vaginal microbiota, saliva microbiota and dental caries, microbes on tree stumps, fungi in Hammams, and a new  CRISPR–Cas system.

Human oral microbiome

Exploration of bacterial species associated with the salivary microbiome of individuals with a low susceptibility to dental caries – Haruna Yasunaga – Clinical Oral Investigations

Human respiratory microbiome

Nasal Airway Microbiota Profile and Severe Bronchiolitis in Infants: A Case-Control Study – Hasegawa, Kohei – The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

Review: The Lung Microbiome and Airway Disease – Susan V. Lynch – Annals of the American Thoracic Society

Human bladder microbiome

Is there a link between urinary microbiota and bladder cancer? – Didier Raoult – European Journal of Epidemiology

Human vaginal microbiome

* Prevotella as a Hub for Vaginal Microbiota under the Influence of Host Genetics and Their Association with Obesity – Jiyeon Si – Cell Host & Microbe

Human gut microbiome

Differences in Metabolism of Ellagitannins by Human Gut Microbiota ex Vivo Cultures
– Jakub P. Piwowarski – Journal of Natural Products

Probiotic properties of Oxalobacter formigenes: an in vitro examination – Archives of Microbiology

The effects of administration of the Lactobacillus gasseri strain CP2305 on quality of life, clinical symptoms and changes in gene expression in patients with irritable bowel syndrome – K. Nobutani – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Review: The microbiome, immunity, and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder – Faith Dickerson – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Review: Emerging role of intestinal microbiota and microbial metabolites in metabolic control – Hilde Herrema – Diabetologia

Review: Microbial Dysbiosis in Common Variable Immune Deficiencies: Evidence, Causes, and Consequences – Roos-Marijn Berbers – Trends in Immunology

Review: Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond – Maria L Marco – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Animal experiments

Individual differences in stress vulnerability: the role of gut pathobionts in stress-induced colitis – Dominik Langgartner – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Impact of prebiotics on metabolic and behavioral alterations in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome – Lourdes Fernández de Cossío – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

I assume this one was done in animals but not clear: Prenatal stress affects placental cytokines and neurotrophins, commensal microbes, and anxiety-like behavior in adult female offspring – Tamar L. Gur – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Animal microbiome

First characterization of viruses from freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria, the intermediate host of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni – Richard Galinier – Acta Tropica

Fish: Effects of microbe- and mussel-based diets on the gut microbiota in Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) – Andreas Nyman – Aquaculture Reports

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Interaction of chiral herbicides with soil microorganisms, algae and vascular plants – Muhammad Asad Ullah Asad – Science of the Total Environment

Mineral type and tree species determine the functional and taxonomic structure of forest soil bacterial communities – Y. Colin – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

* Colonization of Fungi and Bacteria in Stumps and Roots of Scots Pine after Thinning and Treatment with Rotstop – Katarzyna Kubiak – Journal of Phytopathology

Built environment microbiology

* Indoor fungal contamination of traditional public baths (Hammams) – Leyla Benammar – International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation

Waste and pollution microbiology

Alkaline Technosol contaminated by former mining activity and its culturable autochthonous microbiota – A. Šimonovičová – Chemosphere

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

New CRISPR–Cas systems from uncultivated microbes – David Burstein – Nature

A small-sample multivariate kernel machine test for microbiome association studies
– Xiang Zhan – Genetic Epidemiology

Recycler: an algorithm for detecting plasmids from de novo assembly graphs –
Roye Rozov – Bioinformatics

A general framework for association analysis of microbial communities on a taxonomic tree – Zheng-Zheng Tang – Bioinformatics

Introducing EzBioCloud: A taxonomically united database of 16S rRNA and whole genome assemblies – Seok-Hwan Yoon – International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Genomic sequencing illuminates recent Shigella outbreaks in CaliforniaResearchers identify genes associated with toxin production and antibiotic resistance – Science Daily

Raw meatEating so-called ‘cannibal sandwiches’ can be deadly, health official says.Consumption of uncooked beef poses a health risk – Dave Delozier – Channel3000

Ancient Chinese malaria remedy may help fight TB – Deccan Chronicle

The natural history of cheese mites – Scott Chimileski – American Society for Microbiology

The throwaway scope: A way to ditch superbugs? – Chad Terhune – Seacoast Online

Science, publishing, and career

Life Science Controversies of 2016 – Jef Akst – The Scientist

The world’s favourite lab animal has been found wanting, but there are new twists in the mouse’s tale – The Economist

December 22, 2016

Hand washing and drying hygiene, wild and managed geese,  juvenile alpine plants.

uBiome blog

We’re Dreaming of a Brown Christmas + Winter Sale: Celebrate the holiday season with a flurry of festive feces factoids – Julie Taylor – uBiome blog

Human skin microbiome

Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective – Roo Vandegrift – bioRxiv

Human mouth microbiome

Oral Biofluid Biomarker Research: Current Status and Emerging Frontiers – Austin Wang – Diagnostics

Human gut microbiome

Hypothesis: The gut–brain connection: triggering of brain autoimmune disease by commensal gut bacteria – Hartmut Wekerle – Rheumatology

Animal microbiology

Metagenomic profiling of gut microbial communities in both wild and artificially reared Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) – Wen Wang – Microbiology Open

Application of genomic technologies to measure and monitor antibiotic resistance in animals – Jian-Qiang Su – Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Microbial activity promoted with organic carbon accumulation in macroaggregates of paddy soils under long-term rice cultivation – Yalong Liu – Biogeosciences

Ozone and Nitrogen Effects on Juvenile Subalpine Plants: Complex Interactions with Species and Colonization by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) – Seraina Bassin – Water, Air, & Soil Pollution

Food microbiology

Developing a microbial time–temperature indicator to monitor total volatile basic nitrogen change in chilled vacuum-packed grouper fillets – Hsin-I Hsiao- Journal of Food Processing and Preservation

Waste and pollution microbiology

Biological Treatment of Landfill Leachate at Elevated Temperature in the Presence of Polyurethane Foam of Various Porosity – Justyna Koc-Jurczyk – Clean Soil Air Water

Built environment microbiology

Investigation of the microbial communities colonizing prepainted steel used for roofing and walling – Tran T. Huynh – Microbiology Open

Bioinformatics, modeling, ecology and statistics

Using rarefaction to isolate the effects of patch size and sampling effort on beta diversity – Adrian C. Stier – Ecosphere

Inferring human microbial dynamics from temporal metagenomics data: Pitfalls and lessons – Hong-Tai Cao – BioAssays

A review of simulation and modeling approaches in microbiology – A.I. Klimenko – Russian Journal of Genetics: Applied Research

Lifestyles of rarity: understanding heterotrophic strategies to inform the ecology of the microbial rare biosphere – Ryan J. Newton – Aquatic Microbial Ecology

Microbes in the news

* Book: Understanding the Gut Microbiota – Gerald W. Tannock

Scientists build bacteria-powered battery on single sheet of paper – Science Daily

Study: Manuka honey kills more bacteria than all available antibiotics – Amy Goodrich – Natural News

UT Southwestern researchers find new way to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria in burn injuries – News-Medical

Xylariaphilia. A blog about fungi, science, and art – Roo Vandegrift

Microbiomes Gain Momentum in Indiana’s Life Sciences – Kylie Veleta – Inside Indiana Business

December 21, 2016

Fluorescence in the mouth, stool transplant with own stool sometimes works too, Clostridium difficile and nutritional niches in the mouse, bacterioplankton metabolism in the Dead Zone, and the invisible Esther Lederberg.

General microbiome

Review: The microbiome in health and disease: a new role of microbes in molecular medicine – Ingo B. Autenrieth – Journal of Molecular Medicine

Human mouth microbiome

Red and Green Fluorescence from Oral Biofilms – Catherine M. C. Volgenant – PLOS ONE

Characterization of saliva microbiota’s functional feature based on metagenomic sequencing – Fang Yang – SpringerPlus

Human respiratory microbiome

Characterization of microbiome in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with lung cancer comparing with benign mass like lesions – Sang Hoon Lee – Lung Cancer

Human gut microbiome

Complete Microbiota Engraftment Is Not Essential for Recovery from Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection following Fecal Microbiota Transplantation – Christopher Staley – mBio

Press: Study provides clues to improving fecal microbiota transplantation – MedicalXpress

Review: Fecal microbiota transplantation for multiple organ dysfunction syndrome – Nathan J. Klingensmith – Critical Care

Review: Tuning constitutive and pathological inflammation in the gut via the interaction of dietary nitrate and polyphenols with host microbiome – Bárbara S. Rocha – The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology

Review: Redox signaling mediated by the gut microbiota – Rheinallt M. Jones – Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Editorial: The gut microbiota and immune-regulation: the fate of health and disease –
Eliana Mariño – Clinical Translational Immunology

Animal experiments

Collateral Damage: Detrimental Effect of Antibiotics on the Development of Protective Immune Memory – Joseph M. Benoun – mBio

Clostridium difficile colonizes alternative nutrient niches during infection across distinct murine gut environments – Matthew L Jenior – bioRxiv

Water microbiome

Decoding bacterioplankton metabolism in the northern Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone – J. Cameron Thrash – bioRxiv

Built environment microbiome

Resilient microorganisms in dust samples of the International Space Station—survival of the adaptation specialists – Maximilian Mora – Microbiome

Phages and viruses

Not sure if this is such a good idea…. Application of Bacteriophage-containing Aerosol against Nosocomial Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an Intensive Care Unit – Yu-Huai Ho – PLOS ONE

Microbial ecology

Disturbance Regimes Predictably Alter Diversity in an Ecologically Complex Bacterial System – Sean M. Gibbons – mBio

Microbes in the news

Will Microbiome Board Game Become Infectious? – Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News

Appointment of New Features Editor: Melanie Blokesch – Molecular Microbiology

Microbiomes mix it up – Larrie Stone – Washington County Enterprise

Invisible Esther: the ‘Other’ Lederberg – Walt Nakonechny

DNA markers distinguish between harmless, deadly bacteria. Large genome study IDs potential virulence factors to discriminate new species – Science Daily

Researchers Use Genomic Analysis to Study the Deadly Bacteria Responsible for “Rabbit Fever” – David Jennings – Natural Science News

Prostate cancer drug based on sea-bed bacteria brings complete remission for half of patients – Sarah Knapton – Telegraph

New Laser Treatment Based On Deep-Sea Bacteria Effectively Treats Prostate Cancer – IFL Science

Laser therapy leaves no sign of prostate cancer in 50% of trial patients – John von Radowitz – Independent

How bacteria survive antibiotic treatment – Science Daily

Mouthwash May Kill Gonorrhea Bacteria – Sara G. Miller – LiveScience

Video about resistant starch with nice visualizations: The Hungry Microbiome – Data61

Video: Saving Atlantis: The global coral microbiome project in the Red Sea – Science 360

Happy Holidays from Microbiology Lab – Maria Anne – Clinical Laboratory Blogspot

Microbes on the market

Evolve BioSystems Successfully Defends European Patent Opposition by Danone, Maintaining Their Position as Leaders in the Infant Gut Microbiome Space – Market Wired