Category Archives: Microbes in the News

August 13, 2015

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Fecal microbiota transplants also work with frozen stool, rhizobacterial communities on red pepper plants, effect of vaginal ring contraceptives, and the cilantro microbiome.

Pregnancy and birth microbiome

Maternal group B Streptococcus and the infant gut microbiota – A. E. Cassidy-Bushrow – Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

Not a microbiome paper, but of interest: Cesarean Section Delivery is not a Risk Factor for Development of IBD: A Population-based Analysis – Charles N. Bernstein – Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Human gut microbiome

Faecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection using long-term frozen stool is effective: clinical efficacy and bacterial viability data – S. P. Costello – Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Review: Colonization Resistance of the Gut Microbiota against Clostridium difficile – Ana Elena Pérez-Cobas – Antibiotics

Review: Microbiome and Asthma: What Have Experimental Models Already Taught Us?
R. Bonamichi-Santos – Journal of Immunology Research

Human reproductive microbiome

Effects of a One Year Reusable Contraceptive Vaginal Ring on Vaginal Microflora and the Risk of Vaginal Infection: An Open-Label Prospective Evaluation – Yongmei Huang – PLOS ONE

Animal models

Lessons from the Drosophila microbiota – Emma L Walton – Biomedical Journal

Studying host-microbiota interactions in Drosophila melanogaster – Jean Kanellopoulos – Biomedical Journal

Impact of Selection for Digestive Efficiency on Microbiota Composition in the Chicken –
Sandrine Mignon-Grasteau – PLOS ONE

Animal microbiome

Deep insights into carbohydrate metabolism in the rumen of mehsani buffalo at different diet treatments – Nidhi R. Parmar – Genomics Data

Metagenomics: Microbiome analyses of pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) collected from disparate geographical locations – Arun S. Seetharam – Genomics Data

Classifying the bacterial gut microbiota of termites and cockroaches: a curated phylogenetic reference database (DictDb) – Aram Mikaelyan – Systematic and Applied Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Rhizobacterial Communities and Red Pepper (Capsicum annum) Yield under Different Cropping Systems – Byung Kwon Jung – International Journal of Agriculture & Biology

Soil Microbial Community Structure and Metabolic Activity of Pinus elliottii Plantations across Different Stand Ages in a Subtropical Area – Zeyan Wu – PLOS ONE

Microbiomes and potential metabolic pathways of pristine and anthropized Brazilian mangroves – Vanessa L.R. Nogueira – Regional Studies in Marine Science

Phylogenetic Characterization and Community Diversity of Hydrocarbon-Utilizing
Bacteria in Soil Microcosms Enriched with Aromatic Hydrocarbons – Ola Olapade A – Bioremediation & Biodegradation

Review: The Hidden World within Plants: Ecological and Evolutionary Considerations for Defining Functioning of Microbial Endophytes – Pablo R. Hardoim – Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews

Water microbiome

Ecological connectivity shapes quasispecies structure of RNA viruses in an Antarctic lake – A. López-Bueno – Molecular Ecology

Causes and consequences of habitat fragmentation in river networks – Matthew R. Fuller – Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Capability of the natural microbial community in a river water ecosystem to degrade the drug naproxen – Paola Grenni – Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Food microbiology

Cilantro microbiome before and after nonselective pre-enrichment for Salmonella using 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing – Karen G. Jarvis – BMC Microbiology

Changes in the microbial communities of air-packaged and vacuum-packaged common carp (Cyprinus carpio) stored at 4 °C – Yuemei Zhang – Food Microbiology

Metagenomics

An Overview of Genome Organization and How We Got There: from FISH to Hi-C – James Fraser – Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews

Microbes in the news

Statistical Advances Help Unlock Mysteries of the Human Microbiome – Infection Control Today

Seeking samples from FIV positive kitties – Holly Ganz – MicroBEnet

NOFA Says ‘Heal the Climate, Heal Ourselves’ – EcoRI news

Guest Post — The Emergent Microbiome: A Revolution for the Life Sciences – Part II, 2015 Patent Trends – Jessica Miles and Anthony D Sabatelli – JDsupra

A Genetically Modified Yeast Turns Sugar Into Painkillers: Stanford scientists have engineered a strain of yeast that can produce opiates on its own – Adam Hoffman – Smithsonian

Science, publishing, and career

What is the future of Science? This guy might know! Podcast with Francis Collins, NIH Director – Michael DL Johnson – Black Science Blog

Bik’s Picks

Longer-term outcome in the prevention of psychotic disorders by the Vienna omega-3 study – G. Paul Amminger – Nature Communications

Music as an aid for postoperative recovery in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis – Jenny Hole – The Lancet

How can ants tell each other apart? Why, with their crazy refined sense of smell. – Elahe Izadi – Washington Post

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August 12, 2015

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Drug metabolism by gut microbiota, nature vs. nurture in inbred strains of mice, gnotobiotic Drosophila, bat virome, and influence of protist predation on marine microbiomes.

General microbiome

Short-chain fatty acids in control of body weight and insulin sensitivity – Emanuel E. Canfora – Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Pregnancy and birth microbiome

Streptococcal Diversity of Human Milk and Comparison of Different Methods for the Taxonomic Identification of Streptococci – Virginia Martín – Journal of Human Lactation

Human gut microbiome

Editorial: Drug Metabolism by the Host and Gut Microbiota: A Partnership or Rivalry?
Hollie I Swanson – Drug Metabolism and Disposition
Review: Mechanisms of How the Intestinal Microbiota Alters the Effects of Drugs and Bile Acids – Curtis D. Klaassen – Drug Metabolism and Disposition

Comparison of the gut microbiota composition between obese and non-obese individuals in a Japanese population, as analyzed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and next-generation sequencing – Chika Kasai – BMC Gastroenterology

Animal and other models

Microbiota in 110 diverse inbred strains of mice: Genetic and environmental control of host-gut microbiota interactions – Elin Org – Genome Research

Co-culturing Escherichia coli O157:H7 with a non-pathogenic E. coli strain increases toxin production and virulence in a germ-free mouse model – Kakolie Goswami – Infection and Immunity

Ovariectomy results in differential shifts in gut microbiota in low versus high aerobic capacity rats – Kimberly A. Cox-York – Physiological Reports

Studying host-microbiota mutualism in Drosophila: Harnessing the power of gnotobiotic flies – Dali Ma – Biomedical Journal

MyD88 Signaling Regulates Steady-State Migration of Intestinal CD103+ Dendritic Cells Independently of TNF-α and the Gut Microbiota – Karin Hägerbrand – The Journal of Immunology

Animal microbiome

Deciphering the bat virome catalog to better understand the ecological diversity of bat viruses and the bat origin of emerging infectious diseases – Zhiqiang Wu – ISME Journal

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Host promiscuity in symbiont associations can influence exotic legume establishment and colonization of novel ranges – Metha M. Klock – Diversity and Distributions

Temporal and spatial influences incur reconfiguration of Arctic heathland soil bacterial community structure – Richard Hill – Environmental Microbiology

Water microbiome

Marine bacterial community structure resilience to changes in protist predation under phytoplankton bloom conditions – Federico Baltar – ISME Journal

Waste and water treatment microbiology

The activated sludge ecosystem contains a core community of abundant organisms – Aaron M Saunders – ISME Journal

Core-satellite populations and seasonality of water meter biofilms in a metropolitan drinking water distribution system – Fangqiong Ling – ISME Journal

More microbes

Levels and limits in artificial selection of communities – Manuel Blouin – Ecology Letters

Editorial: Origin of the Yeast Whole-Genome Duplication – Kenneth H. Wolfe – PLOS Biology
Beyond the Whole-Genome Duplication: Phylogenetic Evidence for an Ancient Interspecies Hybridization in the Baker’s Yeast Lineage – Marina Marcet-Houben – PLOS Biology

Microbes in the news

Global Human Microbiome Market: Asia is expected to show high growth rates by 2020 – MedGadget

Things I Tell My Mom: Five ways for you to participate in science – Cathy Seiler – Ahwatukee Foothills News

Why making and taking fermented drinks is becoming popular again – John McKenna – The Irish Times

Protein Goes Green: Can Algae Become The Next Soy? – Jessie Rack – NPR

Cultured Coffee offers the flavor of poop-brewed coffee without the crap – TJ Dietsch – Geek

Making kefir at home is easy, healthy – Kit Waskom Pollard – Baltimore Sun

‘Genomic Archaeology’ Reveals That Lager Yeast Was Born More Than Once – Andrea Alfano -Tech Times

Researchers resurrect extinct virus to use for gene therapy: Evolutionary ancestors remade based on current viruses – Ars Technica

Science, publishing, and career

Make Peer Review Public: How to make science faster and more robust – Adam Marcus and Ivan Oransky – Slate

Despite concerted effort, barriers to women in science remain – Jennifer Ann Thomson – The Conversation

Outreach: Primary School outreach – inspiring young minds with science – Mariya Lobanovska – SGM

Physics: She did it all: Val Gibson enjoys the autobiography of Mary K. Gaillard, the first female physics professor at Berkeley – Val Gibson – Nature

Bik’s Picks

Octopus Genome Offers Insights Into One Of Ocean’s Cleverest Oddballs – Nell Greenfieldboyce – NPR

Meteor time! How to watch the big Perseid shower – Paul Rogers – San Jose Mercury News

MIT tackling more serious science: they program beer-delivering robots – ZME Science

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August 11, 2015

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Several reviews on human gut microbiome, two papers on coral microbiome, gut microbiota of wild mice, ancient sea microbes found in gold mine stalactites, and an update on the tree of life.

Microbiome of Death

Not a microbiota paper, but cannot leave out: A Longitudinal Study on Human Outdoor Decomposition in Central Texas – Joanna K. Suckling – Journal of Forensic Sciences

Human gut microbiome

Anti-tumour Necrosis Factor Treatment with Adalimumab Induces Changes in the Microbiota of Crohn’s Disease – David Busquets – Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis

Reduced Levels of D-dimer and Changes in Gut Microbiota Composition after Probiotic Intervention in HIV-infected Individuals on Stable ART – Birgitte Stiksrud – Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

The human gut microbiome as a transporter of antibiotic resistance genes between continents – Johan Bengtsson-Palme – Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

Review: The gut microbiota in human energy homeostasis and obesity – Michael Rosenbaum – Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism

Review: Understanding probiotics’ role in allergic children: the clue of gut microbiota profiling – Pamela Vernocchi – Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Editorial: The Role of Bacteria in Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Understanding the Forest for the Trees – McElroy S.J – Neonatology

Review: Implications of microbiota and bile acid in liver injury and regeneration – Hui-Xin Liu – Journal of Hepatology

Animal and bioreactor models

Metagenomic Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Dairy Cow Feces following Therapeutic Administration of Third Generation Cephalosporin – Lindsey Chambers – PLOS ONE

Increased Butyrate Production During Long-Term Fermentation of In Vitro-Digested High Amylose Cornstarch Residues with Human Feces – Li Li – Journal of Food Science

Bacterial diversity in bovine rumen by metagenomic 16S rDNA sequencing and scanning electron microscopy – Raphael Barbetta de Jesus – Acta Scientiarum

Animal microbiome

The Gut Microbiota of Wild Mice – Laura Weldon – PLOS ONE

Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Pigs Is Associated with Increased Density of Intestinal Mucosa-Associated Bacteria Including Clostridium perfringens – Støy A.C.F. – Neonatology

Cecal drop reflects the chickens’ cecal microbiome, fecal drop does not – J. Pauwels – Journal of Microbiological Methods

Evidence for host specificity among dominant bacterial symbionts in temperate gorgonian corals – Marie La Rivière – Coral Reefs

Identification of Candidate Coral Pathogens on White Band Disease-Infected Staghorn Coral – Sarah A. Gignoux-Wolfsohn – PLOS ONE

Bacteria detected in the honeybee parasitic mite Varroa destructor collected from beehive winter debris – J. Hubert – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Remediation of diesel-contaminated soil using in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) and the effects of common oxidants on the indigenous microbial community: a comparison study – Ku-Fan Chen – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Rhizosphere bacterial communities of dominant steppe plants shift in response to a gradient of simulated nitrogen deposition – An Yang – Frontiers in Microbiology

Diversity and Distribution of Archaea in the Mangrove Sediment of Sundarbans – Anish Bhattacharyya – Archaea

Seasonal effect and anthropogenic impact on the composition of the active bacterial community in Mediterranean orchard soil – Sammy Frenk – FEMS Microbial Ecology

Effects of biochar on copper immobilization and soil microbial communities in a metal-contaminated soil – Sebastián Meier – Journal of Soils and Sediments

Factors associated with the diversification of the microbial communities within different natural and artificial saline environments – Shilong He – Ecological Engineering

Review: Direct and indirect effects of climate change on soil microbial and soil microbial-plant interactions: What lies ahead? – Aimée T. Classen – Ecosphere

Water microbiome

Deep subsurface mine stalactites trap endemic fissure fluid Archaea, Bacteria, and Nematoda possibly originating from ancient seas – Gaëtan Borgonie – Frontiers in Microbiology

Drivers of the dynamics of diazotrophs and denitrifiers in North Sea bottom waters and sediments – Haoxin Fan – Frontiers in Microbiology

Waste treatment microbiology

Denitrifying capability and community dynamics of glycogen accumulating organisms during sludge granulation in an anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor – Zhang Bin – Scientific Reports

Proteomics

Systems biology definition of the core proteome of metabolism and expression is consistent with high-throughput data – Laurence Yang – PNAS

Colonic metaproteomic signatures of active bacteria and the host in obesity – Carolin A. Kolmeder – Proteomics

More microbes

The universal tree of life: an update – Patrick Forterre – Frontiers in Microbiology

How Do Microbial Populations and Communities Function as Model Systems? – Maureen O’Malley – The Quarterly Review of Biology

Impact of space flight on bacterial virulence and antibiotic susceptibility – Peter William Taylor – Infection and Drug Resistance

Microbes in the news

Look Up! There’s an Invisible Zombie Highway Right Above You – Robert Krulwich – National Geographic

uBiome Invites Health Care Providers to Join New Clinical Microbiome Consortium – Global News Wire

Our microbiome: Separating hype from health – Nicholas Staropoli – Genetic Literacy Project

Poop Transplants And Microbiome Makeovers: How We’ll Engineer Our Bacteria To Feel Better – Jessica Leber – FastCoExist

Researchers Offer New Insights Into the Pulmonary Microbiota of Cystic Fibrosis Patients – Patricia Silva – Cystic Fibrosis News Today

Conflict and Co-operation in Bacterial Communities – MicrobePost

Can Your Body’s Bacteria Cause Cancer? – Charis Eng – Cleveland Clinic

British Ministry of Defense released potentially lethal bacteria on London Tube (in 1963), chemically experimented on soldiers – Russell Boyce – RT

Engineered Bacteria Send A Signal When Water Gets Polluted – Tracy Staedter – Discovery

JGI to Grant $1.2 Million to Genomic Technology Projects – Genome Web

Science, publishing, and career

Science: The Story of Me – Morgan Pak – Huffington Post

4 Ways to Help Everyone Find Their Inner Scientist – Imogen Coe – Huffington Post

Tech Women in India’s Startup Boom Reach Out – Gagandeep Kaur – WomensEnews

Bik’s Picks

Magnetosensitive neurons mediate geomagnetic orientation in Caenorhabditis elegans – Andrés Vidal-Gadea – eLIFE

Here’s why coffee makes you poop – Rachel Feltman – Washington Post

Why You’re More Likely To Be Killed By a Bee Than a Bear: Our fear of bear attacks is far greater than the actual risk of being mauled or killed, experts say. – Carrie Arnold – National Geographic

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August 10, 2015

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Ammonia oxidizing bacteria in urban soil, respiratory tract microbiota in Cystic Fibrosis, and colonization of sewer systems.

Human respiratory microbiome

Insights into the respiratory tract microbiota of patients with cystic fibrosis during early Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization – Marlène Keravec – Springer Plus

Animal microbiome

Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Bacteriocin Gene Clusters in Rumen Microbial Genomes – Analice C. Azevedo – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Interactions between co-occurring lactic acid bacteria in the honey bee hive – Z.P. Rokop – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Combined Flux Chamber and Genomics Approach Links Nitrous Acid Emissions to Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria and Archaea in Urban and Agricultural Soil – Nicole K. Scharko – Environmental Science & Technology

Microhabitat heterogeneity across leaves and flower organs promotes bacterial diversity – Robert R. Junker – FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Influence of physicochemical and nutritional factors on bacterial diversity in mangrove sediments along the southwest coast of Tamilnadu, India – S. Prakash – Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Isolation and Screening of Rhizosphere Bacteria from Grasses in East Kavango Region of Namibia for Plant Growth Promoting Characteristics – D. H. Haiyambo – Current Microbiology

Long-term oil contamination causes similar changes in microbial communities of two distinct soils – Jingqiu Liao – Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Waste treatment microbiology

Profile and fate of bacterial pathogens in sewage treatment plants revealed by high-throughput metagenomic approach – Bing Li – Environmental Science & Technology

Changes of microbial biofilm communities during colonization of sewer systems – O Auguet – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Impacts of Long-term Irrigation of Domestic Treated Wastewater on Soil Biogeochemistry and Bacterial Community Structure – Denis Wafula – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Metagenomics

Genomes analysis and bacteria identification: The use of overlapping genes as molecular markers – Elena Perrin – Journal of Microbiological Methods

Review: From cultured to uncultured genome sequences: metagenomics and modeling microbial ecosystems – Daniel R. Garza – Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences

Microbes in the news

I’ll Take My Latte with a Shot of Bacteria
 – Carrie Arnold – The Daily Beast

UO architect and microbiologist explore how home weatherization affects beneficial bacteria – Diane Dietz – The Register-Guard

Are Microbes Stealing Your Mind? Could bacteria hold the answer to an Alzheimer’s cure? Some researchers say yes. – David Ewing Duncan – The Daily Beast

This one made me laugh: No bacteria found in popular sandwiches: Taiwan FDA. “The FDA said the tests only showed Staphylococcus arouse” (sic)

Very rhetoric piece with lots of adjectives, some science, and lots of nonsense:
How The Microbiome Destroyed the Ego, Vaccine Policy, and Patriarchy – Sayer Ji – GreenMedInfo

Bik’s Picks

Massive ‘Communal’ Spider Webs Emerge in Dallas Suburb – Richard Farrell – Discovery

Coca-Cola is funding obesity research with a biased message, nutrition experts say – Ariana Eunjung Cha – Washington Post

Here’s why goats have those freaky eyes – Rachel Feltman – Washington Post
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August 8, 2015

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Lung and oral microbiomes in setting of HIV infection, cell biology of the plant–microbe interface, deep see prokaryotes, bacterial succession during grape fermentation, and correcting amplicon errors with Dada2.

Pregnancy and birth microbiome

Is abnormal vaginal microflora a risk factor for intrauterine fetal growth restriction? – Natalija Vedmedovska – Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction

Multiple Opportunistic Pathogens, but Not Pre-existing Inflammation, May Be Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis – Steven T. Leach – Digestive Diseases and Sciences

Review: Nutrient availability, the microbiome and intestinal transport during pregnancy – Stuart Astbury – Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism

Human oral and lung microbiome

Multi-center Comparison of Lung and Oral Microbiomes of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Individuals – James M. Beck – American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Review: Microbial protection and virulence in periodontal tissue as a function of polymicrobial communities: symbiosis and dysbiosis – Frank A. Roberts and Richard P. Darveau – Periodontology 2000

Needs assessment for emerging oral microbiome knowledge in dental hygiene education – R. Constance Wiener – Journal of Epidemiological Research

Human reproductive microbiome

Is abnormal vaginal microflora a risk factor for intrauterine fetal growth restriction? – Natalija Vedmedovska – Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction

Human gut microbiome

Alterations of mucosal microbiota in the colon of patients with inflammatory bowel disease revealed by real time polymerase chain reaction amplification of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid – Jayakanthan Kabeerdoss – Indian J Med Res

An In Vitro Method to Assess Soil Arsenic Metabolism by Human Gut Microbiota: Arsenic Speciation and Distribution – Naiyi Yin – Environmental Science & Technology

Review: Does a low FODMAP diet help IBS? – Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin

Microbiome models

Modulation of intestinal microbiota in mice by kefir administration – Dong-Hyeon Kim – Food Science and Biotechnology

High nutrient availability reduces the diversity and stability of the equine caecal microbiota – Naja C. K. Hansen – Microbial Ecology in Health & Disease

Impact of Dietary Fiber/Starch Ratio in Shaping Cecal Microbiota in Rabbits – YanLi Zhu – Canadian Journal of Microbiology

Animal microbiome

Electrical Retrieval of Living Microorganisms from Cryopreserved Marine Sponges Using a Potential-Controlled Electrode – Sumihiro Koyama – Marine Biotechnology

PhD Thesis: Reproduction, Sex Ratio and Bacterial Communities of the Coffee Berry Borer Hypothenemus Hampei F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) – Mariño Cárdenas – Universidad de Puerto Rico

Effect of starch source (corn, oats or wheat) and concentration on fermentation by equine fecal microbiota in vitro – Brittany E. Harlow – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Role of peptidases of the intestinal microflora and prey in temperature adaptations of the digestive system in planktivorous and benthivorous fish – V. V. Kuz’mina – Fish Physiology and Biochemistry

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Environmental conditions rather than microbial inoculum composition determine the bacterial composition, microbial biomass and enzymatic activity of reconstructed soil microbial communities – Weibing Xun – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Editorial: Introduction to a Virtual Special Issue on cell biology at the plant–microbe interface – Ralph Panstruga and Hannah Kuhn – New Phytologist

Influence of 34-years of fertilization on bacterial communities in an intensively cultivated black soil in northeast China – Jing Zhou – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Functional and structural responses of methanogenic microbial communities in Uruguayan soils to intermittent drainage – Yang Ji – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Effects of pasture management on soil fertility and microbial communities in the semi-arid grasslands of Inner Mongolia – Jun Liu – Journal of Soils and Sediments

Antibiotic resistance differentiates Echinacea purpurea endophytic bacterial communities with respect to plant organs – Alessio Mengoni – Research in Microbiology

Effect of combined microbes on plant tolerance to Zn–Pb contaminations – Anna Ogar – Environmental Science and Pollution Research

From mesophilic to thermophilic digestion: the transitions of anaerobic bacterial, archaeal, and fungal community structures in sludge and manure samples – Weimin Sun – Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Water microbiome

Metagenome-based diversity analyses suggest a significant contribution of non-cyanobacterial lineages to carbonate precipitation in modern microbialites – Aurélien Saghaï – Frontiers in Microbiology

Thesis: Geobiological interactions of archaeal populations in acidic and alkaline geothermal springs of Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA – Jacob Preston Beam – Montana State University

Global diversity and biogeography of deep-sea pelagic prokaryotes – Guillem Salazar – ISME Journal

Built environment microbiology

Halophilic microbial communities in deteriorated buildings – Justyna Adamiak – World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

Food microbiology

Insights into the bacterial community and its temporal succession during the fermentation of wine grapes – Hailan Piao – Frontiers in Microbiology

Identification of key microorganisms involved in Douchi fermentation by statistical analysis and their use in an experimental fermentation – Chen Chen – Journal of Applied Microbiology

In vitro fermentation of lupin seeds (Lupinus albus) and broad beans (Vicia faba): dynamic modulation of the intestinal microbiota and metabolomic output – Patricia Gullón – Food & Function

Bioinformatics

DADA2: High resolution sample inference from amplicon data – Benjamin J Callahan

Transcriptomics

Molecular and chemical dialogues in bacteria-protozoa interactions – Chunxu Song – Scientific Reports

Techniques

Methods for Improving Human Gut Microbiome Data by Reducing Variability through Sample Processing and Storage of Stool – Monika A. Gorzelak – PLOS ONE

Microbes in the News

Prestigious Japanese university comes up with cheesecake … made with Gorilla bacteria! – RocketNews

Lambton College research project proves successful in eliminating bacteria in firefighting gear – Lambton College

Where the sausage gets made – Holly Ganz – MicroBEnet

Calgary diseases expert on the importance of studying our guts – The Globe and Mail

Bik’s Picks

Creepers’ peepers: Why animals’ pupils have different shapes – Nicholas St. Fleur – Seattle Times

Venomous frogs discovered during painful scientific mishap: Frogs head-butt enemies with their spines to inject toxic venom – CBC News

ISS Astronauts to Sample Leafy Greens Grown on Space Station – NDTV

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August 7, 2015

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Viral infections in coral mucus, microbiology of wind-erosion, cable bacteria in fresh-water sediments, viruses in swimming pools, update on ITS2 database, and specialist taxa.

General human microbiome

Review: Social behavior and the microbiome – Elizabeth A Archie – Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences

Editorial: Germs and joints: the contribution of the human microbiome to rheumatoid arthritis – Geraint B Rogers – Nature Medicine

Microbiome models

In mice: Pancreatic β-Cells Limit Autoimmune Diabetes via an Immunoregulatory Antimicrobial Peptide Expressed under the Influence of the Gut Microbiota – Jia Sun – Immunity

Re: Gut microbiota depletion from early adolescence in mice: Implications for brain and behavior – Zongxin Ling – Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Animal microbiome

Coral Mucus Is a Hot Spot for Viral Infections – Hanh Nguyen-Kim – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Microbiology of wind-eroded sediments: Current knowledge and future research directions – V. Acosta-Martínez – Aeolian Research

Water microbiome

The “Melosira years” of Lake Baikal: Winter environmental conditions at ice onset predict under-ice algal blooms in spring – Stephen L. Katz – Limnology and Oceanography

Cable Bacteria in Freshwater Sediments – Nils Risgaard-Petersen – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

First detection of Papillomaviruses and Polyomaviruses in swimming pool waters: unrecognized recreational water-related pathogens? – G La Rosa – Journal of Applied Microbiology

Bioinformatics

ITS2 database V: Twice as much – Markus J. Ankenbrand – Molecular Biology and Evolution

Informatics for RNA Sequencing: A Web Resource for Analysis on the Cloud – Malachi Griffith – PLOS Computational Biology

Microbial ecology and other microbiology

Microbial ecosystems are dominated by specialist taxa – Mahendra Mariadassou – Ecology Letters

Review: Physiological and Transcriptional Responses of Different Industrial Microbes at Near-Zero Specific Growth Rates – Onur Ercan – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections – Kyria Boundy-Mills – Applied and Environmental Microbiology

A New Strategy for Smoking Cessation: Characterization of a Bacterial Enzyme for the Degradation of Nicotine – Song Xue – Journal of the American Chemical Society

Microbes in the news

Airplane Poop Could Help Track Global Disease Outbreaks – Sarah Zhang – Wired

2 min podcast: Microbes Deep under Seafloor Reflect Ancient Land Origins – Cynthia Graber – Scientific American

This week in Microbiology: Precision Killing: use of antimicrobial peptides to target specific bacteria in the microbiome, and how the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia selectively kills male hosts.

“Happy Days Study” meets the microbiome – Terry Devitt – University of Wisconsin-Madison

Gut Microbiome After Weight-Loss Surgery – Amanda B. Keener – The Scientist

TSRI Chemists Report Nicotine-Chomping Bacteria May Hold Key to Anti-Smoking Therapy – The Scripps Research Institute

Science, publishing, and career

Biology, wet and dry: an interview with Sarah Teichmann – Elisabeth Pain – Science

“Anyone who photographs a bear will get sent home immediately” Don’t mess with the bears – Eli Kintisch – Science

Australia’s remarkable female scientists highlighted in new exhibition in Canberra – Clarissa Thorpe – ABC Australia

Bik’s Picks

Deepwater Horizon, 5 years on – Samantha B. Joye – Science

Devil Tree Threatens the World’s Rarest Zebras – John R. Platt – Scientific American

Facial expressions in horses: EquiFACS: The Equine Facial Action Coding System – Jen Wathan – PLOS ONE

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August 5, 2015

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Microbiome in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gastric bypass operations induces long-term microbiome changes, environmental enteropathy in a mouse model, respiratory viruses in large families, and microbiology of restaurant grease waste.

Events

Microbiome R&D and Business Collaboration Forum – September 10-11, 2015, San Diego, USA

European Microbiome Congress 2015 – 18 and 19 November 2015, London, UK

Microbiome of pregnancy and birth

Review: Antibiotics and the developing infant gut microbiota and resistome – Molly K Gibson – Current Opinion in Microbiology

Review: Early Life Experience and Gut Microbiome: The Brain-Gut-Microbiota Signaling System – Cong, Xiaomei – Advances in Neonatal Care

Review: The Prescient Placenta – Christopher Coe – The Scientist

Human respiratory microbiome

Community Surveillance of Respiratory Viruses Among Families in the Utah Better Identification of Germs-Longitudinal Viral Epidemiology (BIG-LoVE) Study –  L. Byington – Clinical Infectious Diseases

Human gut microbiome

Reduction of butyrate- and methane-producing microorganisms in patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Marta Pozuelo – Scientific Reports

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Vertical Banded Gastroplasty Induce Long-Term Changes on the Human Gut Microbiome Contributing to Fat Mass Regulation – Valentina Tremaroli – Cell Metabolism

Gut-Microbiota-Metabolite Axis in Early Renal Function Decline – Clara Barrios – PLOS ONE

Editorial: Microbiome reflects status of RA and response to therapy – Robert Phillips – Nature Reviews Rheumatology

Microbiome models

Bacterial sensing underlies artificial sweetener-induced growth of gut Lactobacillus – Kristian Daly – Environmental Microbiology

Diet and specific microbial exposure trigger features of environmental enteropathy in a novel murine model – Eric M. Brown – Nature Communications

Animal microbiome

Dominant ectosymbiotic bacteria of cellulolytic protists in the termite gut also have the potential to digest lignocellulose – Masahiro Yuki – Environmental Microbiology

Two gut community enterotypes recur in diverse bumblebee species – Jilian Li- Current Biology

Unique metabolites protect earthworms against plant polyphenols – Manuel Liebeke – Nature Communications

Streptococcus panodentis sp. nov., from the oral cavities of chimpanzees – Masaaki Okamoto – Microbiology and Immunology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Fungal root endophytes of Quercus robur subjected to flooding – H. Kwaśna – Forest Pathology

Land Use and Precipitation Affect Organic and Microbial Carbon Stocks and the Specific Metabolic Quotient in Soils of Eleven Ecosystems of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania – Holger Pabst – Land Degradation & Development

The Phytophthora species assemblage and diversity in riparian alder ecosystems of western Oregon, USA – Laura Lee Sims – Mycologia

Bacterial community structures as a diagnostic tool for watershed quality assessment – Luigimaria Borruso – Research in Microbiology

Water microbiome

Planktonic and sedimentary bacterial diversity of Lake Sayram in summer – Lei Fang – Microbiology Open

Waste and bioreactor microbiome

Reactor performance and microbial community dynamics during anaerobic co-digestion of municipal wastewater sludge with restaurant grease waste at steady state and overloading stages – Vahid Razaviarani – Bioresource Technology

Arsenic toxicity effects on microbial communities and nutrient cycling in indoor experimental channels mimicking a fluvial system – Baigal-Amar Tuulaikhuu – Aquatic Toxicology

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

Xander: employing a novel method for efficient gene-targeted metagenomic assembly – Qiong Wang – Microbiome

Metabolomics

Symposium report: Olfaction in the Kidney: ‘Smelling’ gut microbial metabolites – Niranjana Natarajan and Jennifer L. Pluznick – Experimental Physiology

Microbial Ecology

Clustering in community structure across replicate ecosystems following a long-term bacterial evolution experiment – Hasan Celiker & Jeff Gore – Nature Communications

Microbes in the news

Interview with Peter DiLaura, CEO of Second Genome: Data Mining The Microbiome Toward A Cure For Inflammatory Disease – Peter High – Forbes

Weight loss surgery benefits for gut microbiome last at least a decade – MedicalXpress

Extreme weight loss surgery works, but is it thanks to the knife—or the microbes? – Mitch Leslie – Science

A Belated Look at New York’s Cooling Towers, Prime Suspect in Legionnaires’ Outbreak – Winnie Hu and Noah Remnick – NY Times

Amid Legionnaires’ Fears, City Proposes New Cooling Tower Rules – Mara Gay and Corinne Ramey – Wall Street Journal
Randomised clinical study: Aspergillus niger-derived enzyme digests gluten in the stomach of healthy volunteers – B. N. Salden – Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Study: Citrus Greening Bacterium Gives Vector Unexpected Boost – Paul Rusnak – Growing Produce

Team identifies mutations that allow bacteria to resist antibiotics – Phys.org

Africa is within reach of being declared a polio free region – The Conversation

Viruses Thrive In Big Families, In Sickness and In Health – University of Utah

Science, career, and publishing

Where Next for Genetics and Genomics? – Chris Tyler-Smith – PLOS Biology

Tech Women Triumph: $30k Funding In A Day, Success Under Pressure, True Leaders Inspire – Leo King – Forbes

#ilooklikeanengineer wants to challenge your ideas about who can be a scientist – Susan Svrluga – Washington Post

#FieldWorkFail: Gluing Yourself to a Live Crocodile and Other Mistakes: Scientists share the gross, scary, and often hilarious reality of doing experiments in the wild – Robinson Meyer – The Atlantic

9 Scientists Told Us What Scares Them The Most – Kelly Oakes – BuzzFeed

Bik’s Picks

Jack the Ripper’s final victim set to be exhumed following new theory on the killer’s identity – Doug Bolton – Independent

Scientists unearth earthworm’s ability to digest plant toxins – LiveMint

Are monarch butterflies really being massacred? A new study says it’s a lot more complicated than it seems – Sarah Kaplan – Washington Post

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August 4, 2015

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Diet-induced metabolic changes, rhythmicity of mouse gut microbiome, the microbiome of Lake Michigan, and chicken skin virome.

General microbiome

Antibiotics, microbiota and health: are there dangers hiding in plain sight? – A. Clinton White Jr – Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases

Short Course in the Microbiome: Meeting Dispatch – Kimberly Falana – Journal of Circulating Biomarkers

Pregnancy and birth microbiome

Influence of Intrapartum Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Group B Streptococcus on Gut Microbiota in the First Month of Life – Corvaglia, Luigi – Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition

Human gut microbiome

Quantifying Diet-Induced Metabolic Changes of the Human Gut Microbiome – Saeed Shoaie – Cell Metabolism

Effect of daily intake of pomegranate juice on fecal microbiota and feces metabolites from healthy volunteers – Juana I. Mosele – Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

Gut microbiota richness promotes its stability upon increased dietary fiber intake in healthy adults – Julien Tap – Environmental Microbiology

Review: The intestinal microbiome and health – Susan Tuddenham – Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases

Review: Trimethylamine N-Oxide From Gut Microbiota in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: Focus on Diet – Cristiane Moraes – Journal of Renal Nutrition

Review: Gut permeability, its interaction with gut microflora and effects on metabolic health are mediated by the lymphatics system, liver and bile acid – Cuong D Tran – Future Medicine

Microbiome models

Rhythmicity of the intestinal microbiota is regulated by gender and the host circadian clock – Xue Liang – PNAS

Viability of gut microbes as a complementary earthworm biomarker of metal exposure – Shin Woong Kim – Ecological Indicators

Adaptation of the human aryl hydrocarbon receptor to sense microbiota-derived indoles – Troy D. Hubbard – Scientific Reports

Which games are growing bacterial populations playing? – Xiang-Yi Li – Interface

Animal microbiome

Chicken skin virome analyzed by high-throughput sequencing shows a composition highly different from human skin – Caroline Denesvre – Virus Genes

Variations in microbiota of culex (melanoconion) ocossa and culex (culex) declarator across periurban and rural environments – M Nelson Starkey – Honors Thesis – Andrews University

Plasmids from the gut microbiome of cabbage root fly larvae encode SaxA that catalyzes the conversion of the plant toxin 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate – Cornelia U. Welte – Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Successional Trajectories of Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities over Consecutive Seasons
Shengjing Shi – mBio

Compositional differences in simulated root exudates elicit a limited functional and compositional response in soil microbial communities – Michael S. Strickland – Frontiers in Microbiology

Changes in soil microbial community functionality and structure in a metal-polluted site: The effect of digestate and fly ash applications – M. Garcia-Sánchez – Journal of Environmental Management

Metatranscriptome analysis reveals host-microbiome interactions in traps of carnivorous Genlisea species – Hieu X. Cao – Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbial composition alters the response of litter decomposition to environmental change – Kristin L. Matulich – Ecology

Plant community richness and microbial interactions structure bacterial communities in soil – Daniel C. Schlatter – Ecology

Plant diversity effects on soil microbial functions and enzymes are stronger than warming in a grassland experiment – Katja Steinauer – Ecology

Persistence of the dominant soil phylum Acidobacteria by trace gas scavenging – Chris Greening – PNAS

Review: Current overview on the study of bacteria in the rhizosphere by modern molecular techniques: a mini‒review – L. Lagos – Journal of soil science and plant nutrition

Review: Harnessing phytomicrobiome signaling for rhizosphere microbiome engineering – Liliana Quiza – Frontiers in Plant Science

Water microbiome

The quality of organic matter shapes the functional biogeography of bacterioplankton across boreal freshwater ecosystems – Clara Ruiz-González – Global Ecology and Biogeography

Dissimilatory Arsenate Reduction and In Situ Microbial Activities and Diversity in Arsenic-rich Groundwater of Chianan Plain, Southwestern Taiwan – Suvendu Das – Microbial Ecology

Freshwater ice as habitat: Partitioning of phytoplankton- and bacteria between ice and water in central European reservoirs – R.M.L. McKay – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Urban microbial ecology of a freshwater estuary of Lake Michigan – Jenny C. Fisher – Elementa

Review: Bacterial microcompartments: widespread prokaryotic organelles for isolation and optimization of metabolic pathways – Thomas A. Bobik – Molecular Microbiology

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

SuRankCo: supervised ranking of contigs in de novo assemblies – Mathias Kuhring – BMC Bioinformatics

More microbe research

Species-wide whole genome sequencing reveals historical global spread and recent local persistence in Shigella flexneri – Thomas R Conno – eLIFE

The Cipher Code of Simple Sequence Repeats in “Vampire Pathogens” – Geng Zou – Scientific Reports

Analysis of IS6110 insertion sites provide a glimpse into genome evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis – Tanmoy Roychowdhury – Scientific Reports

Protein synthesis by ribosomes with tethered subunits – Cédric Orelle – Nature

Long-term social dynamics drive loss of function in pathogenic bacteria – Sandra Breum Andersen – PNAS

New approaches to understanding the immune response to vaccination and infection –
David Furman – Vaccine

Microbes in the news

Would You Wear a Face Mask Made From Bacteria? – Jenna Rosenstein – Allure

Times-Picayune asks – Did a moldy building kill 4 New Orleans Professors – Jonathan Eisen – MicroBEnet

How the bugs in your gut keep you healthy – Keri Wiginton – Chicago Tribune

Scientists successfully breed symbiotic bacteria in mosquitoes to control dengue fever – ZeeNews India

Weight-Loss Surgery Changes Gut Bacteria – Rachael Rettner – Live Science

Volcanic bacteria take minimalist approach to survival – Otago University

Science, publishing, and career

Achieving Speaker Gender Equity at the American Society for Microbiology General Meeting – Arturo Casadevall – mBio

Bik’s Picks

This one was striking: Lightning strike as a possible cause of mortality of Australian sea lions, Neophoca cinerea – Peter D. Shaughnessy – Marine Mammal Science

Chilly at Work? Office Formula Was Devised for Men – Pam Belluck – New York Times
Belongs to: Energy consumption in buildings and female thermal demand – Boris Kingma & Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt – Nature Climate Change

This Map Shows How New Yorkers View The Rest Of The United States. Finally, proof! – Carly Ledbetter – Huffington Post

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August 1, 2015

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So many new papers, so here is another Saturday installment of The Digest. Several papers on microbiome during pregnancy or the first months of life, ear infections, having older siblings, rhizosphere on volcanic islands, and aquatic fungal communities.

General human microbiome

A Year of Infection in the Intensive Care Unit: Prospective Whole Genome Sequencing of Bacterial Clinical Isolates Reveals Cryptic Transmissions and Novel Microbiota – David J. Roach – PLOS Genetics

Opinion: The human–microbe metaorganism, evolution and extraterrestrial colonization – Leonard A Mermel – Future Microbiology

Frailty and the Microbiome – Meehan C.J. – Frailty in Aging

Pregnancy and birth microbiome

Secretor Status Is Strongly Associated with Microbial Alterations Observed during Pregnancy – Himanshu Kumar – PLOS ONE

Longitudinal Survey of Microbiota in Hospitalized Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Infants – Patel, Aloka L. – Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition

Lactation and Intestinal Microbiota: How Early Diet Shapes the Infant Gut
Felicia Goldsmith – Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia

DGGE: Distinctive Intestinal Lactobacillus Communities in Six-Month-Old Infants From Rural Malawi and South-Western Finland – Aakko, Juhani – Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition

Early Gut Colonization with Lactobacilli and Staphylococcus in Infants: the Hygiene Hypothesis Extended – Salminen, Seppo – Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition

Association between positive urine cultures and necrotizing enterocolitis in a large cohort of hospitalized infants – Leslie C. Pineda – Early Human Development

Human oral microbiome

Strains of Enterococcus faecalis differ in their ability to coexist in biofilms with other root canal bacteria – L. E. Chávez de Paz – International Endodontic Journal

Human respiratory microbiome

Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Sputum Can Be Chemically Dynamic, Anoxic, and Extremely Reduced Due to Hydrogen Sulfide Formation – Elise S. Cowley – mBio

Human skin and ear microbiome

The microbiome of otitis media with effusion in Indigenous Australian children – Jake Jervis-Bardy – International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

Review: Probiotics in personal care products – Mei-Chiung Jo Huang – Microbiology Discovery

Human gut microbiome

Having older siblings is associated with gut microbiota development during early childhood – Martin Frederik Laursen – BMC Microbiology

Serum Trimethylamine-N-Oxide is Elevated in CKD and Correlates with Coronary Atherosclerosis Burden – Jason R. Stubbs – Journal of the American Society of Nephrology

Probiotics modify human intestinal mucosa-associated microbiota in patients with colorectal cancer – Zhiguang Gao – Molecular Medicine Reports

A Survey on the Developmental Intestinal Microbiota Research in China: the history, funding, and frontiers of gut bacteria – Hui Min Chen – Journal of Digestive Diseases

Review: Gut microorganisms as promising targets for the management of type 2 diabetes – Nathalie M. Delzenne – Diabetologia

Microbiome models

Systems Modeling of Interactions between Mucosal Immunity and the Gut Microbiome during Clostridium difficile Infection – Andrew Leber – PLOS ONE

Evaluation of mucositis induced by irinotecan after microbial colonization in germ-free mice – Silvia H S P Pedroso – Microbiology

Animal microbiome

Exploring the microbial diversity of the distal intestinal lumen and mucosa of farmed rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) using next generation sequencing (NGS) – Philip P. Lyons – Aquaculture Research

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Rhizosphere on volcanic islands: Metagenomic analysis of soil fungal communities on Ulleungdo and Dokdo Islands – Yoon-Jong Nam – The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology

Effect of Agricultural Amendments on Cajanus cajan (Pigeon Pea) and Its Rhizospheric Microbial Communities – A Comparison between Chemical Fertilizers and Bioinoculants – Rashi Gupta – PLOS ONE

Vulnerability of Soil and Its Associated Organic Matter to Degradation in a Subtropical Region: A Study From São Paulo State, Brazil – Alexandre Marco da Silva – Environment Quality Management

Effects of historical logging on soil microbial communities in a subtropical forest in southern China – Piao Song – Plant and Soil

Effects of rotifers, copepods and chironomid larvae on microbial communities in peatlands – Tomasz Mieczan – European Journal of Protistology

Methanogenic microbial community of the Eastern Paris Basin: Potential for energy production from organic-rich shales – Margaux Meslé – International Journal of Coal Geology

All ecosystems potentially host electrogenic bacteria – Nicolas Chabert – Bioelectrochemistry

Phylogenetic structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal community shifts in response to increasing soil fertility – Yongjun Liu – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Water and extremophile microbiome

Phytoplankton–bacterial interactions mediate micronutrient colimitation at the coastal Antarctic sea ice edge – Erin M. Bertrand – PNAS

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on yeasts isolated from deep-sea hydrothermal vents – Gaëtan Burgaud- Research in Microbiology

Identification of Habitat-Specific Biomes of Aquatic Fungal Communities Using a Comprehensive Nearly Full-Length 18S rRNA Dataset Enriched with Contextual Data – Katrin Panzer – PLOS ONE

Metaproteomics of aquatic microbial communities in a deep and stratified estuary – David Colatriano – Proteomics

Waste treatment microbiology

Review: Meta-omics approaches to understand and improve wastewater treatment systems – Elisa Rodríguez – Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology

Metagenomics and bioinformatics

Growth dynamics of gut microbiota in health and disease inferred from single metagenomic samples – Tal Korem – Science

Spaced seeds improve k-mer-based metagenomic classification – Karel Břinda – Bioinformatics

Microbial Ecology

Resource pulses can alleviate the biodiversity–invasion relationship in soil microbial communities – Cyrus A. Mallon – Ecology

Not sure if I like this term: Tritagonist as a new term for uncharacterised microorganisms in environmental systems – Florian M Freimoser – ISME Journal

Microbes in the news

Bacteria on chicken, turkey, pork linked to bladder infections – Lynne Terry – Oregon Live

Byproduct of intestinal bacteria may jeopardize heart health in kidney disease patients – Medical Xpress

Oregon architecture researchers to study indoor air quality in 72 homes – EurekAlert

Research spotlights a previously unknown microbial ‘drama’ playing in the Southern Ocean – Science Daily

Government of Canada Invests in New Western Canadian Microbiome Centre – Sys-Con Media

A Video of the destruction can be seen here: Wood-Decay Fungus Identified as Culprit Consuming Pomona Family’s Home – LA Testing

Microbes and Art

Don’t Be Grossed Out, The Bacteria On These Petri Dish Plates Is Art – Andrew Liszewski – Gizmodo

Call for Entries! ASM’s 2015 Agar Art Contest: Submit your work by September 3th – MicrobeWorld

Bik’s Picks: drought edition

Puget Sound sweltering from the drought and Blob – Department of Ecology – Courier Herald

Extreme Droughts Weaken Trees’ Ability to Soak Up Carbon – William R L Anderegg – Gizmodo

It’s Raining Spiders! Weirdest Effects of California Drought – Tia Ghose – Live Science

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July 31, 2015

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Microbiome antibodies prevented an HIV vaccine from working, effect of antibiotics during rhinosinusitis, microbiome and tuberculosis, how mussels get colonized, and a fruit based nutrient bar’s effect on human metabolism.

Human respiratory microbiome

The Microbiome at the Pulmonary Alveolar Niche: How It Affects the Human Innate Response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis – Alexander J. Adami – Tuberculosis

The effect of antibiotics on the microbiome in acute exacerbations of chronic rhinosinusitis – Mark A. Merkley – International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology

Review: Microbiome influences on allergy in mice and humans – Benjamin J Marsland – Current Opinion in Immunology

Human gut microbiome

Diversion of HIV-1 vaccine-induced immunity by gp41-microbiota cross-reactive antibodies – Wilton B. Williams – Science

Not microbiota, but of interest: Go with the Flow: Regional gastrointestinal transit and pH studied in 215 healthy volunteers using the wireless motility capsule: influence of age, gender, study country and testing protocol – Y. T. Wang – Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Commentary: You Lose Some, You Win Some: Weight Loss Induces Microbiota and Metabolite Shifts – Elisabeth M. Bik – EBioMedicine

Review: The role of the gut microbiota in metabolic health – Aafke W. F. Janssen and Sander Kersten – The FASEB Journal

Microbiome models

MyD88 Adaptor-Dependent Microbial Sensing by Regulatory T Cells Promotes Mucosal Tolerance and Enforces Commensalism – Sen Wang – Immunity

Commentary: A Toolbox for Microbiome Engineering – Mohamed S. Donia – Cell Systems

Animal microbiome

The nasopharyngeal microbiota of feedlot cattle that develop bovine respiratory disease – Devin B. Holman – Veterinary Microbiology

Adapted to change: the rapid development of symbiosis in newly settled, fast-maturing chemosymbiotic mussels in the deep sea – Laming Sven R – Marine Environmental Research

Plant, soil, and root microbiology

Roots from distinct plant developmental stages are capable of rapidly selecting their own microbiome without the influence of environmental and soil edaphic factors – Jun Yuan – Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Environmental Filtering of Microbial Communities in Agricultural Soil Shifts with Crop Growth – Sarah K. Hargreaves – PLOS ONE

Interactions between a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium and smoke-derived compounds and their effect on okra growth – Heino B. Papenfus – Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science

Food microbiology

Diversity and dynamics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in cheese as determined by PCR denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis – Ana Belén Flórez – International Journal of Food Microbiology

Proteomics and metabolomics

A human gut metaproteomic dataset from stool samples pretreated or not by differential centrifugation – Alessandro Tanca – Data in Brief

A multicomponent nutrient bar promotes weight loss and improves dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in the overweight/obese: chronic inflammation blunts these improvements – Joyce C. McCann – The FASEB Journal

Microbes in the news

Gut microbiome may have interfered with experimental HIV vaccines – Rachel Tompa – Fred Hutch

Vacation souvenirs can be crappy, but rarely are they actual crap: Ilana Brito, the Biologist Who Flew to Fiji for Feces – Rachel Becker – Ozy

Science, publishing, and career

Why not have a life? I only stay late if I’m actually doing an experiment – Gary McDowell – Science

Bik’s Picks

Deadly Fungus Could Threaten U.S. Salamanders – Stephanie Pappas – Discover / LiveScience

Plants send out stress signals just like animals, scientists find – Robert Gebelhoff – Washington Post

Vaccine Success Holds Hope For End To Deadly Scourge Of Ebola – Kate Kelland – Huffington Post

The world’s best whiskey is being sent into space for the sake of science – Gabriel Fisher – Quartz

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