Category Archives: Infection and transplantation

February 10, 2016

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Socioeconomic status and microbiota diversity, metagenome of a carnivorous plant, microbiota of homes of CF patients, and high-resolution phylogenetic microbial community profiling.

Events

ASM Microbe 2016, June 16-20, Boston MA. With opening keynote lecture by Bill Gates

SC2: Microbiome: Sorting out the hype from the hope – March 6-11 2016, San Francisco

Probiotics and Prebiotics – June 21-23, Budapest

Pregnancy and birth

Routine Use of Probiotics in Preterm Infants: Longitudinal Impact on the Microbiome and Metabolome – Abdulkadir B. – Neonatology

Human oral microbiome

Isolation of Propionibacterium acnes among the microbiota of primary endodontic infections with and without intraoral communication – Sadia Ambreen Niazi – Clinical Oral Investigations

Human gut microbiome

Deciphering bifidobacterial-mediated metabolic interactions and their impact on gut microbiota by a multi-omics approach – Francesca Turroni – The ISME Journal

Lower Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status Associated with Reduced Diversity of the Colonic Microbiota in Healthy Adults – Gregory E. Miller – PLOS ONE

The features of mucosa-associated microbiota in primary sclerosing cholangitis –
J. Torres – Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Review: Physiological Role of Gut Microbiota for Maintaining Human Health – Andoh A. – Digestion

Editorial: You Are What You Feed Your Gut Microbiome – Joseph E. Scherger – Health Affairs

Review: Gastroenvironmental distress: metaphorical antecedents of the gut microbiome – Nitin K Ahuja – Medical Humanities

Review: Fostering of advanced mutualism with gut microbiota by Immunoglobulin A – Duncan B. Sutherland – Immunological Reviews

Models of microbiome research

Drosophila: Preventing Age-Related Decline of Gut Compartmentalization Limits Microbiota Dysbiosis and Extends Lifespan – Hongjie Li – Cell Host & Microbe

Editorial: Microbes without Borders: Decompartmentalization of the Aging Gut – Erin S. Keebaugh – Cell Host & Microbe

Mice (and humans): Intestinal REG3 Lectins Protect against Alcoholic Steatohepatitis by Reducing Mucosa-Associated Microbiota and Preventing Bacterial Translocation – Lirui Wang – Cell Host & Microbe

Editorial: Alcohol Lowers Your (Intestinal) Inhibitions – Namrata Iyer – Cell Host & Microbe

Mice: Daikenchuto (TU-100) shapes gut microbiota architecture and increases the production of ginsenoside metabolite compound K – Takumu Hasebe – Pharmacology Research & Perspectives

Editorial: Microbiota Control of Malaria Transmission – Miguel P. Soares – Trends in Parasitology

Animal microbiome

Beetles: Trophic and Non-Trophic Interactions in a Biodiversity Experiment Assessed by Next-Generation Sequencing – Julia Tiede – PLOS ONE

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

The Metagenome of Utricularia gibba’s Traps: Into the Microbial Input to a Carnivorous Plant – Luis David Alcaraz – PLOS ONE

Enhancement of drought stress tolerance in crops by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria – Sai Shiva Krishna Prasad Vurukonda – Microbiological Research

Actinobacteria from Arid and Desert Habitats: Diversity and Biological Activity –
Fatemeh Mohammadipanah – Frontiers in Microbiology

Organic Fertilization in Traditional Mediterranean Grapevine Orchards Mediates Changes in Soil Microbial Community Structure and Enhances Soil Fertility – Fuensanta García-Orenes – Land Degradation & Development

Effects of plant functional group loss on soil biota and net ecosystem exchange: a plant removal experiment in the Mongolian grassland – Dima Chen – Journal of Ecology

Water microbiome

Plankton networks driving carbon export in the oligotrophic ocean – Lionel Guidi – Nature

Built environment microbiome

Assessment of the Microbial Constituents of the Home Environment of Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Their Association with Lower Airways Infections – Alya Heirali – PLOS ONE

Metabolomics

Microbial metabolomics in open microscale platforms – Layla J. Barkal – Nature Communications

More microbiology

Open for discussion: Bacterial sequences detected in 99 out of 99 serum samples from Ebola patients – Marina Manrique – bioRxiv

Ethanol Production by Selected Intestinal Microorganisms and Lactic Acid Bacteria Growing under Different Nutritional Conditions – Fouad M. F. Elshaghabee – Frontiers in Microbiology

Rapid radiation in bacteria leads to a division of labour – Wook Kim – Nature Communications

Total biosynthesis of opiates by stepwise fermentation using engineered Escherichia coli – Akira Nakagawa – Nature Communications

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

PhyloTags: High-resolution phylogenetic microbial community profiling – Esther Singer – The ISME Journal

Analysis of five complete genome sequences for members of the class Peribacteria in the recently recognized Peregrinibacteria bacterial phylum – Karthik Anantharaman – PeerJ

Microbes in the news

The Good, the Bad and the Microbiome – Rachel Reisig – University of Minnesota

Unraveling the Mysterious Function of the Microbiome – by Mike Orcutt – MIT Technology Review

Wound-healing intestinal bacteria: Like shrubs after a forest fire
Akkermansia + other anaerobic bacteria temporarily bloom – EurekAlert

San Diego Scientists Find Data Brewing In Local Fermentation Culture – David Wagner – KPBS

Bacteria Have Ability to ‘See,’ Eye-Opening Study Finds – Maggie Fox – NBC News

A gut feeling about bacteria: Men are from Mars, women are from Venus – and their gut bacteria is just as different. – The Senior

How Your Gut Affects Your Bones. The surprising new science of how intestinal bacteria control bone strength – Rana Samadfam – Scientific American

Scientists Discover New Bacteria Responsible For Lyme Disease – David Beasly – Huffington Post

Overhyped: Sci-Q: The Science Of Love: The role of the microbiome in romantic attraction

Science, publishing, and career

Improving the peer-review process and editorial quality: key errors escaping the review and editorial process in top scientific journals – Antoni Margalida – PeerJ

Does it take too long to publish research? – Kendall Powell – Nature

The history of publishing delays – Daniel Himmelstein

The sexual misconduct case that has rocked anthropology – Michael Balter – Science
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January 19, 2016

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Microbiota manipulation during stem cell transplants, meh-crobial diversity in digestive tract of two sheep breeds, eukaryotes within pitcher plants,  South Atlantic Ocean, and soil affected by the 2011 Japan Tsunami.

Events

ISME16, Montreal, Canada, 21 – 26 August 2016. Registration and Submissions now open. The deadline for submitting your abstract is 18 March.

ASM Career Development Grants for Postdoctoral Women – up to 4 awards of $1,500 each. Deadline for Nominations: February 1, 2016.

Fellowships by L’Oréal USA For Women In Science. Deadline Feb 5, 2016. Program awards five women postdoctoral scientists annually with grants of $60,000 each, in any specialty.

Human oral microbiome

Salivary bacterial fingerprints of established oral disease revealed by the Human Oral Microbe Identification using Next Generation Sequencing (HOMINGS) technique – Daniel Belstrøm – Journal of Oral Microbiology

Human gut microbiome

Sleep quality and the treatment of intestinal microbiota imbalance in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A pilot study – Melinda L. Jackson – Sleep Science

Fecal microbiota transplantation: A ‘How-To’ guide for nurses – Sharyn Leis – Collegian Journal

Review: Microbiota Manipulation With Prebiotics and Probiotics in Patients Undergoing Stem Cell Transplantation – Tessa M. Andermann – Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports

Review: Epigenetic Regulation of Enteric Neurotransmission by Gut Bacteria – Tor C. Savidge – Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

Bioreactor and animal models

Microbial Metabolism Shifts Towards an Adverse Profile with Supplementary Iron in the TIM-2 In vitro Model of the Human Colon – Guus A. M. Kortman – Frontiers in Microbiology

Video: A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities – Jacob R. Price – JOVE

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Gastrointestinal Microbial Community Dynamics in Relation to Digesta Properties and Diet – Kamarul Zaman Zarkasi – Microbial Ecology

Animal microbiome

Microbial diversity in the digestive tract of two different breeds of sheep – J.-L. Douglas – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Dynamics of Bacterial Community Composition in the Malaria Mosquito’s Epithelia – Majoline T. Tchioffo – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbiota Plays a Role in Oral Immune Priming in Tribolium castaneum – Momir Futo – Frontiers in Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Dynamics of Viral Abundance and Diversity in a Sphagnum-Dominated Peatland: Temporal Fluctuations Prevail Over Habitat – Flore Ballaud – Frontiers in Microbiology

Biogeographic barriers drive co-diversification within associated eukaryotes of the Sarracenia alata pitcher plant system – Jordan D. Satler – PeerJ

Expanding our Understanding of the Seaweed Holobiont: RNA Viruses of the Red Alga Delisea pulchra – Tim Lachnit – Frontiers in Microbiology

New Methods To Unravel Rhizosphere Processes – Eva Oburger – Trends in Plant Science

Soil microbial responses to forest floor litter manipulation and nitrogen addition in a mixed-wood forest of northern China – Xiao-Lu Sun – Scientific Reports

Unraveling the Functions of the Macroalgal Microbiome – Ravindra Pal Singh – Frontiers in Microbiology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Diversity and bioprospection of fungal community present in oligotrophic soil of continental Antarctica – Valéria M. Godinho – Extremophiles

Novel Barite Chimneys at the Loki’s Castle Vent Field Shed Light on Key Factors Shaping Microbial Communities and Functions in Hydrothermal Systems – Ida H. Steen – Frontiers in Microbiology

High Diversity of Anaerobic Alkane-Degrading Microbial Communities in Marine Seep Sediments Based on (1-methylalkyl)succinate Synthase Genes – Marion H. Stagars – Frontiers in Microbiology

Nutrient limitation of microbial phototrophs on a debris-covered glacier – J.L. Darcy – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Large-scale distribution of microbial and viral populations in the South Atlantic Ocean – Daniele De Corte – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Selective Pressure of Temperature on Competition and Cross-Feeding within Denitrifying and Fermentative Microbial Communities – Anna Hanke – Frontiers in Microbiology

A Lipid-Accumulating Alga Maintains Growth in Outdoor, Alkaliphilic Raceway Pond with Mixed Microbial Communities – Tisza A. S. Bell – Frontiers in Microbiology

Genomic Reconstruction of an Uncultured Hydrothermal Vent Gammaproteobacterial Methanotroph (Family Methylothermaceae) Indicates Multiple Adaptations to Oxygen Limitation – Connor T. Skennerton – Frontiers in Microbiology

Genomic and metagenomic analysis of microbes in a soil environment affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake tsunami – Satoshi Hiraoka – BMC Genomics

Oil reservoir microbiome

Genome-Resolved Metagenomic Analysis Reveals Roles for Candidate Phyla and Other Microbial Community Members in Biogeochemical Transformations in Oil Reservoirs – Ping Hu – mBio

Food microbiology

Dynamic changes in microbiota and mycobiota during spontaneous ‘Vino Santo Trentino’ fermentation – Irene Stefanini – Microbial Biotechnology

Other microbiology and techniques

Perspective: Adapting Koch’s postulates – Allyson L. Byrd, Julia Segre – Science

Depletion of human DNA in spiked clinical specimens to improve the sensitivity of pathogen detection by next generation sequencing – Mohammad R. Hasan – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Evaluation of a new device to simplify and standardize stool sample preparation for viral molecular testing with limited hands-on-time – Linda Feghoul – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Review: Polymicrobial Biofilm Studies: from Basic Science to Biofilm Control – Hubertine ME Willems – Current Oral Health Reports

Review: Laser microdissection: A promising tool for exploring microorganisms and their interactions with hosts – Oleg V. Podgorny – Journal of Microbiological Methods

Book: Applications of Mass Spectrometry in Microbiology – Plamen Demirev, Todd R Sandrin – Springer

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

Searching more genomic sequence with less memory for fast and accurate metagenomic profiling – Shea N Gardner – bioRxiv

An evaluation of the accuracy and speed of metagenome analysis tools – Stinus Lindgreen – Scientific Reports

Motif-based text mining of microbial metagenome redundancy profiling data for disease classification – Yin Wang – BioMed Research International

Metabolic pathways

Metabolic traits of an uncultured archaeal lineage -MSBL1- from brine pools of the Red Sea – Romano Mwirichia – Scientific Reports

Microbes in the news

Looking at the Microbiota to Improve Intestinal Transplantation Results – Jeannette Y. Wick – HCP Live

Why do I have to share my body with so many bugs? – Michael Mosley – BBC

How Bitter Taste Receptors Defend the Body against Bacteria – Robert J Lee – Scientific American

White Paper: The Future of Microbiome Research: Out of the Lab and Into the Clinic – Global Engage

How chicory may help fight plague bacteria – Jason Tetro – Popular Science

Lethal bacteria in Christmas Island feral cats sparks warning (Leptospira) – Nicolas Perpitch – ABC Australia

Microbes and art

Subvisual Subway: The Art of New York City’s Bacterial World – Emily Driscoll – Science Friday

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January 18, 2016

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Skin fungi on astronauts before, during, and after a stay at the ISS, preventing obesity by stool transplants, and microbial landscapes of food production.

Human skin microbiome

Comprehensive analysis of the skin fungal microbiota of astronauts during a half-year stay at the International Space Station – Takashi Sugita – Medical Mycology

Human gut microbiome

Review: Can We Prevent Obesity-Related Metabolic Diseases by Dietary Modulation of the Gut Microbiota? – Lena K Brahe – Advances in Nutrition

Animal models

Gut microbiota lipopolysaccharide accelerates inflamm-aging in mice – Kyung-Ah Kim – BMC Microbiology

Microbiota Control of Malaria Transmission – Miguel P. Soares – Trends in Parasitology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Suitability of the microbial community composition and function in a semiarid mine soil for assessing phytomanagement practices based on mycorrhizal inoculation and amendment addition – J. Kohler – Journal of Environmental Management

Relevance of in vitro agar based screens to characterize the anti-fungal activities of bacterial endophyte communities – Hanan R. Shehata – BMC Microbiology

Food microbiology

A new perspective on microbial landscapes within food production – Nicholas A Bokulich – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

Assessment of k-mer spectrum applicability for metagenomic dissimilarity analysis –
Veronika B. Dubinkina – BMC Bioinformatics

More microbiology

A high-precision rule-based extraction system for expanding geospatial metadata in GenBank records – Tasnia Tahsin – Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association

Microbial stress priming – a meta-analysis – Diana R. Andrade-Linares – Environmental Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Corpse-eating bacteria a forensic tool – Viviane Richter – Cosmos

Olympus Voluntarily Recalls Medical Scope Accused Of Sickening Hundreds With Antibiotic-Resistant Infections – Jaleesa Baulkman – Medical Daily. See full report at Preventable Tragedies: Superbugs and How Ineffective Monitoring of
Medical Device Safety Fails Patients

Could a Poo Transplant Cure You? – Robynne Chutkan – The Huffington Post

Companies Aim to Make Drugs from Bacteria That Live in the Gut – Mike Orcutt – MIT Technology Review

Should You Eat Poop To Lose Weight? – Bruce Y. Lee – Forbes

A Judge Dismissed A Woman’s DWI Because Her Gut Makes Its Own Booze – Cat Ferguson – BuzzFeed

A Lesson in Lyme: What the Hell is a Spirochete? – Hannah Barry – The Lyme Life

Bacteria hysteria

Note: Sponsored by the Cleaning Industry Research Institute: Study Reveals High Bacteria Levels on Footwear – CIRI Science

Hotel Hygiene Exposed – Travel Math

Science, publishing, and career

Obama’s big bet on science: It’s about far more than a cancer ‘moonshot’ – Carl Zimmer – STATnews

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January 14, 2016

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Sorry for a late post today – I had a lot of meetings. Here is what I found:

Gut microbiota shaped via fecal microRNA, the microgenderome, dysbiosis in Vitiligo skin lesions, metatranscriptomics, and an 18th century Yersinia pestis.

General microbiome

Perspective: Taking it Personally: Personalized Utilization of the Human Microbiome in Health and Disease – Niv Zmora – Cell Host & Microbe

The Human Microbiome: Opportunities for Dynamics, Systems, and Control
(based on the IFAC blog post Translate or Die) – Travis E. Gibson – Submitted to ACC 2016

Human skin microbiome

Microbial community profiling shows dysbiosis in the lesional skin of Vitiligo subjects – Parul Ganju – Scientific Reports

Human oral microbiome

Diversity and homogeneity of oral microbiota in healthy Korean pre-school children using pyrosequencing – Soo Eon Lee – Acta Odontologica Scandinavica

Short-term effects of povidone iodine and sodium fluoride therapy on plaque levels and microbiome diversity – C Reilly – Oral Diseases

Commentary: A new association for the oral metagenome – Nicholas S Jakubovics – Oral Diseases

Human vaginal microbiome

Review: Vaginal microbiota and microbiome:- Role in health and disease – Dr Amit A. Rangari – Indian Journal of Basic and Applied Medical Research;

Human gut microbiome

Support for the Microgenderome: Associations in a Human Clinical Population – Amy Wallis – Scientific Reports

Impact of increasing fruit and vegetables and flavonoid intake on the human gut microbiota – Annett Klinder – Food & Function

Colonization potential to reconstitute a microbe community in patients detected early after fecal microbe transplant for recurrent C. difficile – Ranjit Kumar – BMC Microbiology

Review: The microbiome and its implications in intestinal transplantation – Kroemer, Alexander – Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation

Animal models

Genetic and Metabolic Signals during Acute Enteric Bacterial Infection Alter the Microbiota and Drive Progression to Chronic Inflammatory Disease – Karishma Kamdar – Cell Host & Microbe

The Host Shapes the Gut Microbiota via Fecal MicroRNA – Shirong Liu – Cell Host & Microbe

Animal microbiome

The gastrointestinal tract microbiota of the Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica – Ngare Wilkinson – Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Culturable endophytic bacterial communities associated with field grown soybean – Karla Bianca de Almeida Lopes – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Historical precipitation predictably alters the shape and magnitude of microbial functional response to soil moisture – Colin Averill – Global Change Biology

Water and waste microbiome

Development of new host-specific Bacteroides qPCRs for the identification of fecal contamination sources in water – Marta Gómez-Doñate – Microbiology Open

Bacterial diversity in oil-polluted marine coastal sediments – Alejandro Acosta-González – Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Spatial and temporal variability of bacterial communities in high alpine water spring sediments – Alfonso Esposito – Research in Microbiology

Biogeochemical, Isotopic and Bacterial Distributions Trace Oceanic Abyssal Circulation – Angelo Rubino – PLOS ONE

Metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and bioinformatics

Eighteenth century Yersinia pestis genomes reveal the long-term persistence of an historical plague focus – Kirsten I Bos – BioRxiv

Metatranscriptomic analysis of diverse microbial communities reveals core metabolic pathways and microbiome-specific functionality – Yue Jiang – BMC Microbiome Journal

Viral metagenomics and blood safety – V. Sauvage – Transfusion Clinique et Biologique

Microbes in the news

Does our Microbiome Control Us or Do We Control It? – Dina Fine Maron – Scientific American

Your gut’s trick for controlling the bacteria that live in it – New Scientist

Mammals shape their microbiome to prevent disease – Science Codex

Low-Fiber Diets Cause Waves of Extinction in the Gut – Ed Yong – The Atlantic

Bad diets today can alter our great-great-grandkids’ biology – Katherine Ellen Foley – Quartz

Thoughtful and balanced comparison: mothur and QIIME – Pat Schloss – Mothur blog

Modifying the structure of wood alters plant microbiome – Science Daily

Gut Microbiome Similar in Formula- and Combination-Fed Babies – Troy Brown – MedScape

Eglin medical group first to find bacteria unseen in humans: Borrelia turicatae – Ilka Cole – US Air Force

Protecting the infant microbiome – Kathryn Kos – Examiner

Microbiology and art

Sunshine and microbiology inspire Reading artist’s work – Francesca Perryman – Get Reading

Science, publishing, and career

Re: Your Recent Email to Your Professor: Students who use emojis in their emails and write “heeeeelp!” in the subject line don’t necessarily know better.  – Paul T. Corrigan and Cameron Hunt McNabb – Inside Higher Education

ORCID: Publishers embrace scheme to end name confusion – John Bohannon – Science

Give teachers a physics test from a woman and they’ll give her worse grades – John Timmer – Ars Technica

Astronomy’s snowballing sexual harassment scandal picks up even more cases – Rachel Feltman – Washington Post

Bik’s Picks

Inside the Eye: Nature’s Most Exquisite Creation – Ed Yong – National Geographic
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January 9, 2016

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Microbiomes of musk deer, Tasmanian Devils, Panamanian frogs, roots of truffle-associated Douglas firs, and the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

General human microbiome

Editorial: Getting fat from an inflamed relationship? The revenge of the holobiont
Andrew Moore – BioEssays

Perspective: Has provoking microbiota aggression driven the obesity epidemic? – Benoit Chassaing – BioEssays

Pregnancy and birth

A Comparison of Three Bioinformatics Pipelines for the Analysis of Preterm Gut Microbiota using 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing Data – Erica Plummer- OMICS Proteomics & Bioinformatics

Review: Infection and preterm birth – Hugh C.G. Nadeau – Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine

Human gut microbiome

Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Endotoxemia in Young Obese Mexican Subjects – Radilla-Vázquez R.B. – Obesity Facts

Animal models

The Impact of Dietary Energy Intake Early in Life on the Colonic Microbiota of Adult Mice – Jinyu Xu – Scientific Reports

Western diet induces a shift in microbiota composition enhancing susceptibility to Adherent-Invasive E. coli infection and intestinal inflammation – Allison Agus – Scientific Reports

Resistant Starch Alters the Microbiota-Gut Brain Axis: Implications for Dietary Modulation of Behavior – Mark Lyte – PLOS ONE

Effects of BmCPV Infection on Silkworm Bombyx mori Intestinal Bacteria – Zhenli Sun – PLOS ONE

Antibiotic-treated versus germ-free rodents for microbiota transplantation studies – Randi Lundberg – Gut Microbes

Animal microbiome

The musk chemical composition and microbiota of Chinese forest musk deer males
Diyan Li – Scientific Reports

Pasteurellaceae bacteria from the oral cavity of Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus Harrisii) show high MIC values towards aminoglycosides and clindamycin – Nicole Gutman – Letters in Applied Microbiology

Skin bacterial diversity of Panamanian frogs is associated with host susceptibility and presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis – Eria A Rebollar – The ISME Journal

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Prokaryotic diversity in biodeteriorated wood coming from the Bükkábrány fossil forest – Katerina Nikolouli – International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation

Molecular screening of microbial communities for candidate indicators of multiple metal impacts in marine sediments from northern Australia – Alyssa Cornall – Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Characterizing root-associated fungal communities and soils of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands that naturally produce Oregon white truffles (Tuber oregonense and Tuber gibbosum) – Gian Maria Niccolò Benucci – Mycorrhiza

Field degradation of aminopyralid and clopyralid and microbial community response to application in Alaskan soils – Patrick L. Tomco – Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Microbial community structure and predicted bacterial metabolic functions in biochar pellets aged in soil after 34 months – Daquan Sun – Applied Soil Ecology

Water and extremophile microbiome

Deep Microbial Life in High-Quality Granitic Groundwater from Geochemically and Geographically Distinct Underground Boreholes – Kohei Ino – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Low viral predation pressure in cold hypersaline Arctic sediments and limits on lytic replication – Jesse Colangelo-Lillis – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Metagenomic analysis suggests modern freshwater microbialites harbor a core and distinct microbial community – Richard A. White III – Frontiers in Microbiology

Partitioning of fungal assemblages across different marine habitats – T.C. Jeffries – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Impact of manufactured TiO2 nanoparticles on planktonic and sessile bacterial communities – Stéphane Jomini – Environmental Pollution

Molecular Ecology of Hypersaline Microbial Mats: Current Insights and New Directions – Hon Lun Wong – MDPI Microorganisms

Microbial genetic diversity in soils along salinealkaline gradients at the coast of Laizhou Bay – Feng Zhao – Protistology

Influence of Zinc on Bacterial Populations and their Proteolytic Enzyme Activities in Freshwater Environments: A Cross-Site Comparison – Lauren Rasmussen – Canadian Journal of Microbiology

Marine microbial communities of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon are influenced by riverine floodwaters and seasonal weather events – Florent E. Angly – Peer J

Food microbiology

Exploring the phenotypic space of non-Saccharomyces wine yeast biodiversity – Debra Rossouw – Food Microbiology

Infection microbiology

Oral Phage Therapy of Acute Bacterial Diarrhea With Two Coliphage Preparations: A Randomized Trial in Children From Bangladesh – Shafiqul Alam Sarker – EBioMedicine

Book Chapter: Reducing pathobiomes could slow arms race between man and microbes
S. Romano-Bertrand – Microbiology 5

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

Neptune: A Tool for Rapid Microbial Genomic Signature Discovery – Eric Marinier – BioRxiv

Metagenomic Analyses Reveal That Energy Transfer Gene Abundances Can Predict the Syntrophic Potential of Environmental Microbial Communities – Lisa Oberding – MDPI Microorganisms

Conference abstracts from the 2015 IEEE International Conference onBioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM):
Leveraging the k-Nearest Neighbors classification algorithm for Microbial Source Tracking using a bacterial DNA fingerprint library – Jeffrey D McGovern
A computational framework for integrative analysis of large microbial genomics data – Erliang Zeng
Computational challenges in microbiome research – Mihai Pop

Microbes in the news

New Year’s Resolutions for your Microbiome – Anne Estes – Mostly Microbes

West Hartford Children Museum Starts Scientific Discussion Series – Kristin Stoller – Hartford Courant

Balbriggan pair named Young Scientists of the Year: Maria Louise Fufezan and Diana Bura claim first place for research into soil fertility and nematodes – Dick Ahlstrom – The Irish Times

Body’s bacteria don’t outnumber human cells so much after all – Tina Hesman Saey – Science News

Are we really made up of more bacteria than human cells? – Lindsey Kratochwill – Popular Science

P&G granted patent for prebiotic agent-containing composition targeting skin microbiome – Andrew McDougall – Cosmetic Design-Europe.com

Science, publishing, and career

Nobel winner pulls out of Melb conference run by controversial Indian company (OMICS, EB) – Andrew Masterson – The Age

Cheer up, my academic colleagues! We’re so lucky to do this job – Anonymous Academic – The Guardian

Publishers to require ORCID identifiers for authors – EurekAlert

Bik’s Picks

Healthy Diet Helps 183-Year-Old Tortoise Feel Young Again – Jason Bittel – National Geographic

 

December 31, 2015

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Last post of the year! Wishing you and all microbiomes a great, successful and healthy 2016!

Dead or alive in the sinus microbiome, early life exercise, feather degrading bacteria in the house sparrow, and fungi on public restroom floors.

Pregnancy and birth

Review: The Influence of Early Infant-Feeding Practices on the Intestinal Microbiome and Body Composition in Infants – Aifric O’Sullivan – Nutrition and Metabolic Insights

Human oral microbiome

Review: Advances in the microbial etiology and pathogenesis of early childhood caries –
Evlambia Hajishengallis – Molecular Oral Microbiology

Human respiratory tract microbiome

Dead or alive: Deoxyribonuclease I sensitive bacteria and implications for the sinus microbiome – A.L. Williams – American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy

Human gut microbiome

Early life exercise may promote lasting brain and metabolic health through gut bacterial metabolites – Agnieszka Mika – Immunology & Cell Biology

Proton pump inhibitors alter the composition of the gut microbiota – Matthew A Jackson – Gut

Metagenomic Analysis Reveals Dynamic Changes of Whole Gut Microbiota in the Acute Phase of Intensive Care Unit Patients – Masahiro Ojima – Digestive Diseases and Sciences

Review: Dietary Emulsifiers, The Human Intestinal Mucus and Microbiome, and Dietary Fiber – Michael J. Glade – Nutrition

Review: Commensal bacteria modulate the tumor microenvironment – Theofilos Poutahidis – Cancer Letters

Review: Characterizing the Intestinal Microbiome in Infantile Colic. Findings Based on an Integrative Review of the Literature – Nancy E. Dubois – Biological Research For Nursing

Microbiome models

Variability in microbial population and fermentation traits at various sites within the forestomach and along the digestive tract as assessed in goats fed either grass or browse – J.O. Zeitz – Small Ruminant Research

Effect of roughage on rumen microbiota composition in the efficient feed converter and sturdy Indian Jaffrabadi buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) – Neelam M. Nathani – BMC Genomics

The Effect of Immigration on the Adaptation of Microbial Communities to Warming – Diane Lawrence – The American Naturalist

Animal microbiome

Birds: Microbial Genomics of a Host-Associated Commensal Bacterium in Fragmented Populations of Endangered Takahe – Zoë L. Grange – Microbial Ecology

More birds: Feather-degrading bacteria, uropygial gland size and feather quality in House Sparrows Passer domesticus – Attila Fülöp – Ibis

Plant, root, and soil microbiology

The Cultivable Surface Microbiota of the Brown Alga Ascophyllum nodosum is Enriched in Macroalgal-Polysaccharide-Degrading Bacteria – Marjolaine Martin – Frontiers in Microbiology

Characterization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Communities of Aquilaria crassna and Tectona grandis Roots and Soils in Thailand Plantations – Amornrat Chaiyasen – PLOS ONE

Water and extremophile microbiome

Characterization of Halophilic Bacterial Communities in Turda Salt Mine (Romania) – Rahela Carpa – Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres

Built environment microbiome

Rapid assemblage of diverse environmental fungal communities on public restroom floors – Jennifer Fouquier – Indoor Air

A simple novel device for air sampling by electrokinetic capture – Julian Gordon – Microbiome

Infection microbiology

Review: The biogeography of polymicrobial infection – Apollo Stacy – Nature Reviews Microbiology

Microbes in the news

Gut Microbiome Influenced by Early-Life Exercise – GenEngNews

Celebrating the good viruses of 2015 – Jason Tetro – Popular Science

End of the year lists

Science: Best long reads of 2015 (part one) – BBC

Science: Best long reads of 2015 (part two) – BBC

Science, publishing, and career

“Women Who Don’t Give a Crap” – Holly Tabor – PLOS Genetics

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December 29, 2015

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Human respiratory microbiome

Culture-based and culture-independent bacteriologic analysis of cystic fibrosis respiratory specimens – Mona A. Mahboubi – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

Human gut microbiome

Review: Could the Gut Microbiota Reconcile the Oral Bioavailability Conundrum of Traditional Herbs? – Feng Chen – Journal of Ethnopharmacology

Chapter: Antimicrobial Peptides in the Gut – Maureen J. Ostaff – Antimicrobial Peptides

Review: Commensal ‘trail of bread crumbs’ provide pathogens with a map to the intestinal landscape – Deborah H Luzader – Current Opinion in Microbiology

Review: New frontiers in nanotoxicology: Gut microbiota/microbiome-mediated effects of engineered nanomaterials – Antonio Pietroiusti – Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

Review: Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and the Gut Microbiome – Jerome Boursier – Clinics in Liver Disease

Review: Beneficial Microbes: The pharmacy in the gut – Daniel M. Linares – Bioengineered

Microbiome models

Selective Spectrum Antibiotic Modulation of the Gut Microbiome in Obesity and Diabetes Rodent Models – Deepak K. Rajpal – PLOS ONE

Animal microbiome

Microbial community of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) juveniles during a disease outbreak in South China – Liu-yang Shi – Aquaculture Research

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Experimental Evidence that Fungi are Dominant Microbes in Carbon Content and Growth Response to Added Soluble Organic Carbon in Moss-rich Tundra Soil – O. Roger Anderson – The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology

Relative Roles of Deterministic and Stochastic Processes in Driving the Vertical Distribution of Bacterial Communities in a Permafrost Core from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China – Weigang Hu – PLOS ONE

Legacy effects of soil moisture on microbial community structure and N2O emissions – Samiran Banerjee – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Water microbiome

High concentrations of bioavailable heavy metals impact freshwater sediment microbial communities – Caiying Ni – Annals of Microbiology

Techniques

Enhanced sequencing coverage with digital droplet multiple displacement amplification – Angus M. Sidore – Nucleic Acids Research

BioDry: An Inexpensive, Low-Power Method to Preserve Aquatic Microbial Biomass at Room Temperature – Steven J. Tuorto – PLOS ONE

Review: The A, C, G, T of Genome Assembly – Bilal Wajid – BioMed Research International

More Microbiology

Microbiology: A division of labour combined – Marcel M. M. Kuypers – Nature

PhD Thesis: Bacterial Predation in Host Microbiomes – Welsh, Rory M. – Oregon State

Microbes in the news

It’s Hard to Poop on Vacation – Why the holidays are a prime time for traveler’s constipation – Mollie Bloudoff-Indelicato – The Atlantic

Referring to a review based on debatable research: Babies in the Womb Aren’t So Sterile After All – Alice Park – Time

New Studies Suggest Microorganisms in the Womb Set Stage For Childhood and Adulthood Diseases – PR Web

Officials Expand Quarantine In Calif. To Battle Bug That Carries Bacteria Fatal To Citrus Trees – CBS Sacramento

Book reviews: ‘The Diet Myth,’ ‘The Good Gut’ and ‘The Hidden Half of Nature’ – Sonia Shah – The New York Times

http://news.co.cr/bacteria-from-antarctica-could-be-used-in-cancer-treatment/43621/Bacteria from Antarctica Could be Used in Cancer Treatment – Costa Rica Star

Activist Christopher Swain swims in ‘toilet bowl of bacteria’ – Scott Enman – Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Letters: We need a new strategy in the war against bacteria – The Independent
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December 24, 2015

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Merry Christmas! The stream of microbiome research papers never appears to take a break, so I will keep on posting during the holidays. Today I found two nice review papers on the oral microbiome and cystic fibrosis microbiome, an upcoming hands-on workshop on mothur (Microbial Ecology software), the acne microbiome, and bacterial exchange in your washing machine.

Events

Throughout the year, Pat offers 4-5 workshops on mothur and programming in R for microbial ecologists. February mothur workshop by Patrick Schloss, February 8-10, Detroit

General microbiome

Review: Tools for the Microbiome: Nano and Beyond – Julie S. Biteen – ACS Nano

Human skin microbiome

Microorganisms inhabiting follicular contents of facial acne are not only Propionibacterium but also Malassezia spp. – Narifumi Akaza – The Journal of Dermatology

Human oral microbiome

Review: Beyond the oral microbiome – Howard F. Jenkinson – Environmental Microbiology

Prevalence of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis in caries-free and caries-active children in relation to the oral microbiota—a clinical study – A. Al-Ahmad – Clinical Oral Investigations

Human respiratory microbiome

Looking beyond respiratory cultures: Microbiome-cytokine signatures of bacterial pneumonia and tracheobronchitis in lung transplant recipients – Jyoti Shankar – American Journal of Transplantation

The Lung Immune Response to Bacteria in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – Paul T. King – American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Review: The Microbiome in Cystic Fibrosis – Yvonne J. Huang – Clinics in Chest Medicine

Human gut microbiome

Not a very novel insight: Analysis of the microbiome: Advantages of whole genome shotgun versus 16S amplicon sequencing – Ravi Ranjan – Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

Review: The Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Alcohol Effects on the Composition of Intestinal Microbiota – Phillip A. Engen – Alcohol Research Current Reviews

Review: The First Line of Defense: The Effects of Alcohol on Post-Burn Intestinal Barrier, Immune Cells, and Microbiome – Adam M. Hammer

Microbiome models

Intestinal Microbiota Signatures Associated with Inflammation History in Mice Experiencing Recurring Colitis – David Berry – Frontiers in Microbiology

The Anti-Oxidant Drug Tempol Promotes Functional Metabolic Changes in the Gut Microbiota – Jingwei Cai – Journal of Proteome Research

Effects of the dietary protein level on the microbial composition and metabolomic profile in the hindgut of the pig – Liping Zhou – Anaerobe

Development of gut inflammation in mice colonized with mucosa-associated bacteria from patients with ulcerative colitis – Zhengyu Du – Gut Pathogens

Animal microbiome

The Metabolically Active Bacterial Microbiome of Tonsils and Mandibular Lymph Nodes of Slaughter Pigs – Evelyne Mann – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbial community of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) juveniles during a disease outbreak in South China – Liu-yang Shi – Aquaculture Research

The Role of Tissue-specific Microbiota in Initial Establishment Success of Pacific oysters – Ana Lokmer – Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiomes

Impact of forest management practices on soil bacterial diversity and consequences for soil processes – Federica Colombo – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Metagenomics study of endophytic bacteria in Aloe vera using next-generation technology – Mushafau Adewale Akinsanya – Genomics Data

Shifts of microbial community structure in soils of a photovoltaic plant observed using tag-encoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA – Shijin Wu – Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Copper pollution decreases the resistance of soil microbial community to subsequent dry–rewetting disturbance – Jing Li – Journal of Environmental Sciences

Switchgrass rhizospheres stimulate microbial biomass but deplete microbial necromass in agricultural soils of the upper Midwest, USA – Chao Liang – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Water and waste microbiome

Occurrence and persistence of antibiotic resistance genes in river biofilms after wastewater inputs in small rivers – Lorenzo Proia – Environmental Pollution

Biogeochemical importance of the bacterial community in uranium waste deposited at Key Lake, Northern Saskatchewan – VF Bondici – Geomicrobiology Journal

Built environment microbiome

Bacterial Exchange in Household Washing Machines – Chris Callewaert- Frontiers in Microbiology

Survival of Antarctic Cryptoendolithic Fungi in Simulated Martian Conditions On Board the International Space Station – Onofri Silvano – Astrobiology

Darkening on lead-based pigments: Microbiological contribution – Tânia Rosado – Color Research & Application

Microbes in the news

Giant Balls of Bacteria Pile Up on Arctic Lake Beds, Ooze Toxin – Emily Benson – EOS

This Squid Could Help Humans Repel Dangerous Flesh-Eating Bacteria – Esther Inglis-Arkell – Gizmodo

Lackner Investigates Whether Brain Changes Affect Gut Microbiome – University of Buffalo

Science, publishing, and career

2015 London Naturejobs Career Expo: Science communication videos – Julie Gould – Nature Blogs
How to deal with the media
How to get a job
How to deal with articles that misrepresent science
Do you need a PhD?

Korean prosecutors seek jail time for professors in massive plagiarism scheme – Mark Zastrow – Retraction Watch

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December 12, 2015

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Events

3rd Microbiome R&D and Business Collaboration Forum: Europe, 11-12 April, 2016, London

Pregnancy and birth

Study protocol (no data yet): Intestinal microbiota composition after antibiotic treatment in early life: the INCA study – N. B. M. M. Rutten – BMC Pediatrics

Review: The very low birth weight infant microbiome and childhood health – Maureen W. Groer – Birth Defects Research Part C: Embryo Today: Reviews

Review: Development of the infant intestinal microbiome: A bird’s eye view of a complex process – Sharon B. Meropol – – Birth Defects Research Part C: Embryo Today: Reviews

Review: Microbial programming of health and disease starts during fetal life – Petya T. Koleva – Birth Defects Research Part C: Embryo Today: Reviews

Human gut microbiome

Review: Gut microbiota in health and disease: an overview focused on metabolic inflammation – R. Nagpal – Beneficial Microbes

Animal models

Effects of antibiotics (oxytetracycline, florfenicol or tulathromycin) on neonatal calves’ faecal microbial diversity – J. Oultram – Veterinary Record

Water microbiome

Wind and sunlight shape microbial diversity in surface waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre – Jessica A Bryant – ISME Journal

Bioprospecting around Arctic islands: Marine bacteria as rich source of biocatalysts
– Concetta De Santi – Journal of Basic Microbiology

Built environment microbiology

Review: Microlayer enrichment in natural treatment systems: linking the surface microlayer to urban water quality – Megan A. Rippy – Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water

Food microbiology

Dynamics and Diversity of Microbial Community Succession of Surimi During Fermentation with Next-Generation Sequencing – Dandan Zhao – Journal of Food Safety

Infection microbiology

Making the Leap from Research Laboratory to Clinic: Challenges and Opportunities for Next-Generation Sequencing in Infectious Disease Diagnostics – Brittany Goldberg – mBio

Microbes in the news

Scientist who injected himself with 3.5 million year old bacteria ‘feels fine’ – Brittany A. Roston – Slash Gear

Kim Kardashian Has a Cold: Health issues are the new frontier in celebrity PR – Ruth Graham – Slate

Biotech startup will mine the gut for drugs affecting human behavior – Ike Swetlitz – STAT news

Functions of global ocean microbiome key to understanding environmental changes: Mary Ann Moran – University of Georgia / EurekAlert

Foodstuffs: N.H. Sauerkraut Maker Rides the Microbiome Wave Into Tom Brady’s Pantry (Maybe) – Sam Evans-Brown – NHPR

Kickstarter project: Snotbot, custom-built drones that hover in the air above a surfacing whale and collect the blow (or snot) exhaled from its lungs – Kickstarter
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December 11, 2015

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Mammalian corpse decomposition – beautiful work by Jessica Metcalf.

Microbiome of death

Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition – Jessica L. Metcalf – Science

Human oral microbiome

Review: Oral microbiome, periodontitis and risk of head and neck cancer – Leonardo Victor Galvão-Moreira – Oral Oncology

Review: The emerging landscape of salivary diagnostics – Yong Zhang – Periodontology 2000

Review: Influence of saliva on the oral microbiota – Philip D. Marsh – Periodontology 2000

Human skin microbiome

OK, not microbial, but entertaining: A comparative clinical study of different hair removal procedures and their impact on axillary odor reduction in men – Anthony Lanzalaco – Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology

Human respiratory microbiome

Correspondence: Potential roles of disordered airway microbiota in patients with severe asthma – Zongxin Ling – Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Human gut microbiome

Stress and the Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis in Visceral Pain: Relevance to Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Rachel D. Moloney – CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics

Review: SLE: Another Autoimmune Disorder Influenced by Microbes and Diet? – Qinghui Mu – Frontiers in Immunology

Review: The Intestinal Microbiome and the Liver Transplant Recipient: What We Know
and What We Need to Know – Iliana Doycheva

Microbiome models

Vancomycin treatment and butyrate supplementation modulate gut microbe composition and severity of neointimal hyperplasia after arterial injury – Karen J. Ho – Physiological Reports

Can closed artificial ecosystem have an impact on insect microbial community? A case study of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) – Leyuan Li – Ecological Engineering

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Increasing aridity reduces soil microbial diversity and abundance in global drylands – Fernando T. Maestre – PNAS

The interaction between iron nutrition, plant species and soil type shapes the rhizosphere microbiome – Youry Pii – Plant Physiology and Biochemistry

Nitrification and Nitrifying Bacteria in a Coastal Microbial Mat – Haoxin Fan – Frontiers in Microbiology

Diversity of Phytophthora Species from Declining Mediterranean Maquis Vegetation, including Two New Species, Phytophthora crassamura and P. ornamentata sp. nov. – Bruno Scanu – PLOS ONE

Algae–bacteria interactions: Evolution, ecology and emerging applications – Rishiram Ramanan – Biotechnology Advances

Water microbiome

Particle-Associated Differ from Free-Living Bacteria in Surface Waters of the Baltic Sea – Angelika Rieck – Frontiers in Microbiology

The global ocean microbiome – Mary Ann Moran – Science

Hypothesis: Fractal Hypothesis of the Pelagic Microbial Ecosystem—Can Simple Ecological Principles Lead to Self-Similar Complexity in the Pelagic Microbial Food Web? – Selina Våge – Frontiers in Microbiology

Food microbiology

Microbiome profiling in fresh-cut products – Chiara Gorni – Trends in Food Science & Technology

FoodMicrobionet: A database for the visualisation and exploration of food bacterial communities based on network analysis – Eugenio Parente – International Journal of Food Microbiology

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

The MG-RAST metagenomics database and portal in 2015 – Andreas Wilke – Nucleic Acids Research

Infection and transplantation

The Interplay of Host Microbiota and Parasitic Protozoans at Mucosal Interfaces: Implications for the Outcomes of Infections and Diseases – Ann-Katrein Bär – PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

Viruses and phages

The role of viruses in the evolution of cyanobacteria – S. V. Shestakov – Biology Bulletin Reviews

Microbes in the news

Thousands of unexpected microbes break down our bodies after death – Elizabeth Pennisi – Science
Meet the Necrobiome: The Waves of Microbes That Will Eat Your Corpse – Ed Yong – The Atlantic
Tiny Witnesses: Microbes Can Tell When A Murder Victim Died – Rob Stein – NPR

New Superbug Resistant To All Antibiotics Linked To Imported Meat – Judy Stone – Forbes

Chipotle, E. coli, and more: The surprising truths about food-borne illnesses – Sheila Kaplan – STAT news

What Your Microbiome Wants for Dinner – David R Montgomery and Anne Bikle

Bacteria engineered with synthetic circadian clocks – EurekAlert

Melanoma Meets Microbiome – Kenneth Y. Tsai – NEJM Journal Watch

Can the health of a pregnant woman’s gut influence her baby? – Massey University

Science, publishing, and career

Making the most of the postdoc experience – Lorena Escudero – Frontiers Blog

Should post-publication peer review be anonymous? The PubPeer organisers and two other scholars debate the merits and pitfalls of anonymity in peer review – Times Higher Education

No evidence that gender contributes to personal research funding success in The Netherlands: A reaction to van der Lee and Ellemers – PNAS

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