Tag Archives: Archaea

September 4, 2024

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Good morning (or afternoon, or evening, wherever you are in the world reading this,) Microbiome Digesters! Today’s post features a piece from Nature highlighting the ethical dilemmas and evolving approaches in Indigenous microbiome research. Indigenous peoples have historically faced exploitation through extraction of their lands, biological samples, and genetic data without proper consent. Researchers are re-evaluating their methods, shifting towards more respectful and collaborative practices that involve Indigenous communities in designing studies and ensuring they benefit from the findings. Check out the piece by Sam Jones for Nature to learn more.

An ethical way forward for Indigenous microbiome research – Sam Jones – Nature Outlook: The human microbiome

Human gut microbiome

Interplay between particle size and microbial ecology in the gut microbiome – Jeffrey Letourneau et al – ISME Journal

Unexplored microbial diversity from 2,500 food metagenomes and links with the human microbiome – Niccolò Carlino – Cell

A streamlined culturomics case study for the human gut microbiota research – Hyunjoon Park et al – Scientific Reports

Gut microbiota patterns associated with duration of diarrhea in children under five years of age in Ethiopia – Getnet Tesfaw et al – Nature Communications

Association of maternal gut microbial metabolites with gestational diabetes mellitus: evidence from an original case-control study, meta-analysis, and Mendelian randomization – Mengxin Yao et al – European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

The Microleaks study: 16S community profile and metagenomic shotgun sequencing signatures associated with anastomotic leak – Emily C. Hoedt et al – NPJ Gut & Liver

Targeted isolation of Methanobrevibacter strains from fecal samples expands the cultivated human archaeome – Stefanie Duller et al – Nature Communications

Characterization of gut microbiota in the Uyghur osteopenia population – Kunchen Teng et al – Scientific Reports

Spaceflight alters host-gut microbiota interactions – E. Gonzalez et al – NPJ Biofilms & Microbiomes

Other human microbiome

Bacterial association with metals enables in vivo monitoring of urogenital microbiota using magnetic resonance imaging – Sarah C. Donnelly et al – Communications Biology

Urine metabolomic profiles of autism and autistic traits – A twin study – Abishek Arora et al – PLOS One

Animal microbiome

Massive expansion of the pig gut virome based on global metagenomic mining – Jiandui Mi et al – NPJ Biofilms & Microbiomes

Marine sponge microbe provides insights into evolution and virulence of the tubercle bacillus – Sacha J. Pidot et al – PLOS Pathogens

Exploring the interactions between Nosema ceranae infection and the honey bee gut microbiome – Edmund Lau et al – Scientific Reports

Metagenomic characterisation of canine skin reveals a core healthy skin microbiome – Michaella J. Whittle et al – Scientific Reports

CHIKV infection drives shifts in the gastrointestinal microbiome and metabolites in rhesus monkeys – Hongyu Chen et al – BMC Microbiome

Effects of dietary restriction and one-carbon metabolite supplementation during the first 63 days of gestation on the maternal gut, vaginal, and blood microbiota in cattle – Sarah M. Luecke et al – BMC Animal Microbiome

Aloe arborescens supplementation in drying-off dairy cows: influence on rumen, rectum and milk microbiomes – Paola Cremonesi et al – BMC Animal Microbiome

Comparative genomics identifies key adaptive traits of sponge-associated microbial symbionts – Paul A. O’Brien et al – Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root & soil microbiome

Deciphering the role of rhizosphere microbiota in modulating disease resistance in cabbage varieties – Xingxing Ping et al – BMC Microbiome

Oak seedling microbiome assembly under climate warming and drought – Daniel Hoefle et al – BMC Environmental Microbiome

The ancestral environment of teosinte populations shapes their root microbiome – Christopher J. Barnes et al – BMC Environmental Microbiome

Water & marine microbiome

Prokaryotic-virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes throughout the global oceans – Funing Tian et al – BMC Microbiome

Global distribution, diversity, and ecological niche of Picozoa, a widespread and enigmatic marine protist lineage – BMC Microbiome

Microbial core communities in activated sludge plants are strongly affected by immigration and geography – Sofie Zacho Vertergaard et al – BMC Environmental Microbiome

The eukaryome of modern microbialites reveals distinct colonization across aquatic ecosystems – Anthony M. Bonacolta et al – NPJ Biofilms & Microbiomes

Methods & techniques

[PREPRINT] Domestic freezer storage: a solution for preserving stool microbiota integrity for at-home collection – Paula Momo Cabrera et al – bioRxiv

COVID-19 prevention behaviors and dietary habits among undergraduate students: A health belief model approach – Doreen Liou – PLOS One

A catalog of small proteins from the global microbiome – Yiqian Duan et al – Nature Communications

August 8, 2024

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Human respiratory, skin, and gut microbiome

Nurturing futures through the maternal microbiome – Roberta Pala & Katherine Kenny – Sociology of Health & Illness

The skin microbiota of preterm infants and impact of diaper change frequency – Noelle E. Younge et al – PLOS One

Vitamin A carotenoids, but not retinoids, mediate the impact of a healthy diet on gut microbial diversity – Ana M. Valdes et al – BMC Medicine

Gut microbial composition is altered in sarcopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies – Xiaohong Mai et al – PLOS One

Associations of upper respiratory mucosa microbiota with Rheumatoid arthritis, autoantibodies, and disease activity – Young Bin Joo et al – PLOS One

Effect of β-lactam antibiotics on the gut microbiota of term neonates – Hongdan Gu et al – BMC Annals of Clinical Microbiology & Antimicrobials

Clinical efficacy of a multilamellar cream on skin physiology and microbiome in an epidermal stress model: A controlled double-blinded study – Joachim W Fluhr et al – Int. Journal of Cosmetic Science

Animal experiments

Mouse adaptation of human inflammatory bowel diseases microbiota enhances colonization efficiency and alters microbiome aggressiveness depending on the recipient colonic inflammatory environment – Simon M. Gray et al – BMC Microbiome

Animal microbiome

Gut microbiota composition of the isopod Ligia in South Korea exposed to expanded polystyrene pollution – Young-Mi Lee et al – PLOS One

Effects of a supplemented diet containing 7 probiotic strains (Honeybeeotic) on honeybee physiology and immune response: analysis of hemolymph cytology, phenoloxidase activity, and gut microbiome – Patrizia Robino et al – BMC Biological Research

Survey of antimicrobial and probiotic use practices in wildlife rehabilitation in the United States – Elizabeth A. Miller et al – PLOS One

The impact of management on the fecal microbiome of endangered greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in a zoo-based conservation program – Emma Vaasjo et al – Conservation Physiology

Water & extremophile microbiome

Microdiversity in marine pelagic ammonia-oxidizing archaeal populations in a Mediterranean long-read metagenome – Pablo Suárez-Moo et al – Environmental Microbiology

Production of structurally diverse sphingolipids by anaerobic marine bacteria in the euxinic Black Sea water column – Su Ding et al – ISME Journal

Plant, root & soil microbiome

Characterization of fungal microbiome structure in leaf litter compost through metagenomic profiling for harnessing the bio-organic fertilizer potential – Sophayo Mahongnao et al – 3Biotech

Plant species influences the composition of root system microbiome and its antibiotic resistance profile in a constructed wetland receiving primary treated wastewater – Valentina Riva et al – Frontiers in Microbiology

DNA stable isotope probing reveals the impact of trophic interactions on bioaugmentation of soils with different pollution histories – Esteban E. Nieto et al – BMC Microbiome

Seed endophytes and rhizosphere microbiome of Imperata cylindrica, a pioneer plant of abandoned mine lands – Wenqin Mao et al – Frontiers in Microbiology

Temperature-dependent trophic associations modulate soil bacterial communities along latitudinal gradients – Xing Huang et al – ISME Journal.

Microbial ecology

[PREPRINT] Models of microbiome evolution incorporating host resource provisioning – Yao Xiao et al – bioRxiv

Beneficial microbes & compounds

Combining Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis and human milk oligosaccharides synergistically increases short chain fatty acid production ex vivo – Florac De Bruyn et al – Nature Communications Biology

July 31, 2024

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Human gut microbiome

The gut mycobiome signatures in long-lived populations – Lixia Pu et al – Cell iScience

Viral metagenomics combined with non-targeted serum metabolomics reveals the role of enteroviruses in a mouse model of coronary heart disease – Xiang Li et al – BMC Virology

Core microbiome-associated proteins associated with ulcerative colitis interact with cytokines for synergistic or antagonistic effects on gut bacteria – Ting Zhang et al – ISME Journal

Comparison between 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing in colorectal cancer, advanced colorectal lesions, and healthy human gut microbiota – David Bars-Cortina et al – BMC Genomics

Effect of different delivery modes on intestinal microbiota and immune function of neonates – Chunhui Lai et al – Scientific Reports

Animal experiments

Effects of Akkermansia muciniphila on Gut Morphology, Antioxidant Indices, and Gut Microbiome of Mice Under Heat Stress – Caiyu Luo et al – Foodborne Pathogens and Disease

Gut microbiota mediates the anti-inflammatory effects of supplemental infrared irradiation in mice – Shijing Wang et al – Photochemistry and Photobiology

Short-chain fatty acids ameliorate imiquimod-induced skin thickening and IL-17 levels and alter gut microbiota in mice: a metagenomic association analysis – Yi-Ju Chen et al – Scientific Reports

Animal microbiome

Facultative endosymbiosis between cellulolytic protists and methanogenic archaea in the gut of the Formosan termite Coptotermes formosanus – Masayuki Kaneko et al – ISME Communications

Rodents consuming the same toxic diet harbor a unique functional core microbiome – Tess E. Stapleton et al – BMC Animal Microbiome

The plant-sucking insect selects assembly of the gut microbiota from environment to enhance host reproduction – Hong-Wei Shan et al – NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes

Alterations in captive Alexandrine parakeet (Palaeornis eupatria) gut microbiome and metabolome in response to dietary change – Xin Feng et al – Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology

Link between bacterial communities and contrasted loads in ectoparasitic monogeneans from the external mucus of two wild sparid species (Teleostei) – Judith Revault et al – BMC Animal Microbiome

Beneficial microbes and compounds

Unearthing Lactococcus lactis and Scheffersomyeces symbionts from edible wood-boring beetle larvae as a bio-resource for industrial applications – Shadrick Kibet et al – BMC Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

[OPINION] Microbiome Bioprospecting for Sustainable Agrobiome and Circular Bioeconomy – Dhananjaya Pratap Singh – Anthropocene Science

Host genetic variation and specialized metabolites from wheat leaves enriches for phyllosphere Pseudomonas spp. with enriched antibiotic resistomes – Qian Xiang et al – ISME Journal

Rhizosphere microbiome assembly, drivers and functions in perennial ligneous plant health – Morgane Duret et al – Microbiological Research

Diversity, composition and potential roles of sedimentary microbial communities in different coastal substrates around subtropical Okinawa Island, Japan – Kohei Hamamoto et al – BMC Environmental Microbiome

June 19, 2024

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Oral and respiratory microbiota

Safety, Feasibility, and Advantages of Oral Microbiota Transplantation: The First Clinical Case – Oleg V. Goloschapov – Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Oral microbial dysbiosis in patients with oral cavity cancers – Ozge Unlu – Clinical Oral Investigations

Nasal cathelicidin is expressed in early life and is increased during mild, but not severe respiratory syncytial virus infection – Sofia Sintoris – Nature Scientific Reports

Human gut microbiome

Tissue-resident bacteria in metabolic diseases: emerging evidence and challenges – Lucas Masier – Nature Metabolism

Faecal microbiota of schoolchildren is associated with nutritional status and markers of inflammation: a double-blinded cluster-randomized controlled trial using multi-micronutrient fortified rice – Yohannes Seyoum – Nature Communications

Beneficial microbes and compounds

Short-chain fatty acid valerate reduces voluntary alcohol intake in male mice – Suresh C. Bokoliya – BMC Microbiome

Sleep promoting and omics exploration on probiotics fermented Gastrodia elata Blume – Chao-Qi Zhang – NPJ Science of Food

Animal microbiome

Metagenomic approach revealed the mobility and co-occurrence of antibiotic resistomes between non-intensive aquaculture environment and human – Li Tian – BMC Microbiome

Water and extremophile microbiome

Bacterial community and cyanotoxin gene distribution of the Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya – Katelyn M. Brown – Environmental Microbiology

Genome-wide screen of genetic determinants that govern Escherichia coli growth and persistence in lake water – Nataliya Teteneva – ISME Journal

Plant, root, and soil microbiomes

Root-associated Streptomyces produce galbonolides to modulate plant immunity and promote rhizosphere colonization – Clément Nicolle – ISME Journal

Organic fertilization co-selects genetically linked antibiotic and metal(loid) resistance genes in global soil microbiome – Zi-Teng Liu – Nature Communications

Conceptualizing soil fauna effects on labile and stabilized soil organic matter – Gerrit Angst – Nature Communications

Fungi

The first ITS1 profiling of honey samples from the Southeast Asian region Lombok, Bali and Banggi Island – Saeed Ullah – Nature Scientific Reports

Archaea

Asgard archaeal selenoproteome reveals a roadmap for the archaea-to-eukaryote transition of selenocysteine incorporation machinery – Biyan Huang – ISME Journal

Microbial Ecology

Strain tracking in complex microbiomes using synteny analysis reveals per-species modes of evolution – Hagay Enav – Nature Biotechnology

Methods

High-throughput single-cell transcriptomics of bacteria using combinatorial barcoding – Karl D. Gaisser – Nature Protocols

Commentary and opinions

SeqCode in the golden age of prokaryotic systematics – Diego Javier Jiménez – ISME Journal

Digestive Disease Week 2024 – Katrina Ray – Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Barriers and enablers to the effective implementation of omics research in low- and middle-income countries – Jacus S. Nacis – Nature Biotechnology

March 1, 2022

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General microbiome

Phylogenomics, Epigenomics, Virulome, and Mobilome of Gram-negative Bacteria Co-resistant to Carbapenems and Polymyxins: A One-Health Systematic Review and Meta-analyses – Ramaloko et al. – Environmental Microbiology

Global diversity and distribution of mushroom-inhabiting bacteria – Gohar et al. – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Genomic Epidemiology Insights on NDM-Producing Pathogens Revealed the Pivotal Role of Plasmids on blaNDM Transmission – Dong et al. – Microbiology Spectrum

Multi-site human microbiome

Contributions of Human-Associated Archaeal Metabolites to Tumor Microenvironment and Carcinogenesis – Cai et al. – Microbiology Spectrum

Human respiratory microbiome

Early life inter-kingdom interactions shape the immunological environment of the airways – C Pattaroni et al. – Microbiome

Human gut microbiome

Altered gut metabolites and microbiota interactions are implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis and can be non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers – Coker et al. – Microbiome

Animal experiments

Development of a rational framework for the therapeutic efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation for calf diarrhea treatment – Islam et al. – Microbiome

Animal microbiome

Comparative microbiome analysis of Diaphorina citri and its associated parasitoids Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis reveals Wolbachia as a dominant endosymbiont – Ashraf et al. – Environmental Microbiology

Plant, root, and soil microbiome

Core arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are predicted by their high abundance-occupancy relationship while host-specific taxa are rare and geographically structured – Kajihara et al. – New Phytologist

Embracing mountain microbiome and ecosystem functions under global change –  Wang et al. – New Phytologist

Nitrogen fertilization disrupts the temporal dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal hyphae but not spore density and community composition in a wheat field – Babalola et al. – New Phytologist

Multiomics Reveals the Effect of Root Rot on Polygonati Rhizome and Identifies Pathogens and Biocontrol Strain – Pang et al. – Microbiology Spectrum

Seed microbiota revealed by a large-scale meta-analysis including 50 plant species – Simonin et al. – New Phytologist

Viewpoint: Plant–microbe eco-evolutionary dynamics in a changing world – Angulo et al. – New Phytologist

Stem traits, compartments, and tree species affect fungal communities on decaying wood – Yang et al. – Environmental Microbiology

Microplastics reduce soil microbial network complexity and ecological deterministic selection – Shi et al. – Environmental Microbiology

The core root microbiome of Spartina alterniflora is predominated by sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria in Georgia salt marshes, USA – Rolando et al. – Microbiome

Water and extremophile

“Boom-and-busted-dynamics” of phytoplankton-virus interactions explain the paradox of the plankton – Flynn et al. – New Phytologist

Communality in microbial stress response and differential metabolic interactions revealed by time-series analysis of sponge symbionts – Taylor et al. – Environmental Microbiology

Global 16S rRNA diversity of provannid snail endosymbionts from Indo-Pacific deep-sea hydrothermal vents – Breusing et al. – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Sources of protein diet differentially stimulate the gut and water microbiota under freshwater crayfish, marron (Cherax cainii, Austin 2002) culture – Foysal et al. – Environmental Microbiology Reports

Non-human microbiome digest, October 27, 2014

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Microbiomes of camels, cheetahs, jackals, birds and reptiles, limpets, corals, plant roots, soils, and sea water.

Animal microbiome

* In-depth diversity analysis of the bacterial community resident in the camel rumen – Javad Gharechahi – Systematic and Applied Microbiology

“In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing was applied in order to explore the structure of the bacterial community inhabiting the camel rumen.”

Oligotyping reveals differences between gut microbiomes of free-ranging sympatric Namibian carnivores (Acinonyx jubatus, Canis mesomelas) on a bacterial species-like level – Sebastian Menke – Frontiers in Microbiology

“Here, we used Illumina MiSeq to sequence amplicons generated from the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to investigate the gut microbiome of two free-ranging sympatric Namibian carnivore species, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and the black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas).”

Diet is a major factor governing the fecal butyrate-producing community structure across Mammalia, Aves and Reptilia – Marius Vital – ISME Journal

“We investigated the butyrate-producing community in hindgut-fermenting Mammalia (n=38), Aves (n=8) and Reptilia (n=8) using a gene-targeted pyrosequencing approach of the terminal genes of the main butyrate-synthesis pathways”

Decadal changes in common reef coral populations and their associations with algal symbionts (Symbiodinium spp.) – Timothy R. McClanahan – Marine Ecology

“Decadal populations changes in four coral taxa and their patterns of association with algal symbionts (Symbiodinium spp. – 10 years of sampling) were examined on Kenyan back reefs over a period of climatic disturbances (1991−2009). “

Metaphylogenomic and Potential Functionality of the Limpet Patella pellucida’s Gastrointestinal Tract Microbiome – Magda Dudek – International Journal of Molecular Sciences

“This study investigated the microbial diversity associated with the digestive tract of the seaweed grazing marine limpet Patella pellucida.”

Plant microbiome

* Distinct root-associated bacterial communities on three wild plant species growing in a common field – Kristin Aleklett – PeerJ Preprints

“We sampled endophytic and epiphytic bacteria in root tissues from a population of a wild, clonal plant… as well as two neighboring plant species … to determine if plant species hosted unique root microbiota”

The fungal leaf endophyte Paraconiothyrium variabile specifically metabolizes the host-plant metabolome for its own benefit – Yuan Tian – Phytochemistry

“..we have investigated the action of the endophytic fungus Paraconiothyrium variabile, isolated from the leaves of Cephalotaxus harringtonia, on the secondary metabolome of the host-plant. “

Soil microbiome

Late winter under ice pelagic microbial communities in the high Arctic Ocean and the impact of short-term exposure to elevated CO2 levels – Adam Monier – Frontiers in Microbiology

“Phylogenetic diversity was greater in the attached fraction compared to the free-living fraction in situ, in the controls and in the treatments.”

The ecological dichotomy of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in the hyper-arid soils of the Antarctic Dry Valleys – Catarina M. Magalhães – Frontiers in Microbiology

“Here we showed that AOB and AOA amoA gene diversity was generally low; only four AOA and three AOB operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified from a total of 420 AOA and AOB amoA clones.”

Soil bacterial community composition altered by increased nutrient availability in Arctic tundra soils – Akihiro Koyama – Frontiers in Microbiology

“Fertilization significantly altered overall bacterial community composition and reduced evenness, to a greater degree in organic than mineral soils, and in the 1989 compared to the 2006 site.”

Effect of volatile organic compounds absorbed to fresh biochar on survival of Bacillus mucilaginosus and structure of soil microbial communities – Daquan Sun – Journal of Soils and Sediments

“The structure of a soil microbial community incubated in biochar was examined via denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). “

Broad host range plasmids can invade an unexpectedly diverse fraction of a soil bacterial community – Uli Klümper – ISME Journal

“We identified transfer to many different recipients belonging to 11 different bacterial phyla. “

Water microbiome

* Genomes and gene expression across light and productivity gradients in eastern subtropical Pacific microbial communities – Chris L Dupont – ISME Journal

“Relative to surface waters, bacterial SCM communities displayed greater genetic diversity and enrichment in putative sulfur oxidizers, multiple actinomycetes, low-light-adapted Prochlorococcus and cell-associated viruses.”

Aerobic methanotrophic communities at the Red Sea brine-seawater interface – Rehab Z. Abdallah – Frontiers in Microbiology

“The current study analyzed the aerobic free–living methane-oxidizing bacterial communities that potentially contribute to methane oxidation at the brine-seawater interfaces of the three aforementioned brine pools, using metagenomic pyrosequencing, 16S rRNA pyrotags and pmoA library constructs. “

Bacterial community structure is indicative of chemical inputs in the Upper Mississippi River – Christopher Staley – Frontiers in Microbiology

“Bacterial communities were characterized by Illumina sequencing of the V6 region of 16S rDNA and compared to >40 chemical and nutrient concentrations. “

Semiconductor Sequencing Reveals the Diversity of Bacterial Communities in an Amazonian Reservoir – Diego Assis das Graças – Aquatic Science and Technology

“In this study, we used a next-generation sequencing platform, the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine, and employed a barcode library to investigate the bacterial diversity along a 70-m deep water column in the proximity of the dam. “

Seasonal changes of microbial communities in two shallow peat bog lakes – Sylwia Lew – Folia Microbiologica

“We investigated the seasonal dynamics of the microbial community in two small peat bog lakes, Kuźnik Olsowy and Kuźnik Bagienny, located in western Poland.”

Bioreactor microbiome

Methane-fed microbial microcosms show differential community dynamics and pinpoint taxa involved in communal response – Igor Y Oshkin – ISME Journal

“We report observations on the dynamics of bacterial communities in response to methane stimulus in laboratory microcosm incubations prepared with lake sediment samples.”

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Microbiome Digest, October 23, 2014

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Not much microbiome news today – which was good because I got time to watch the solar eclipse and a huge solar storm at the same time.  Enjoy the read!

Animal models of microbiome research

Lyn Deficiency Leads to Increased Microbiota-Dependent Intestinal Inflammation and Susceptibility to Enteric Pathogens – Morgan E. Roberts – Journal of Immunology

“Lyn2/2 mice exhibited profound cecal inflammation, bacterial dissemination, and morbidity following S. Typhimurium challenge and greater colonic inflammation throughout the course of C. rodentium infection.”

Rock microbiome

* Halophilic Archaea Cultivated from Surface Sterilized Middle-Late Eocene Rock Salt Are Polyploid – Salla T. Jaakkola – PLOS ONE

“We used real-time PCR to show that our isolates are polyploid, with genome copy numbers of 11–14 genomes per cell in exponential growth phase.”

More Microbiology

Zooming in to see the bigger picture: Microfluidic and nanofabrication tools to study bacteria – Felix J. H. Hol, Cees Dekker – Science

“Here, we review the new scientific insights gained by using a diverse set of nanofabrication and microfluidic techniques to study individual bacteria and multispecies communities.”

Review: Theory and Empiricism in Virulence Evolution – James J. Bull, Adam S. Lauring – PLOS Pathogens

“Our purpose here is to offer a brief introduction to virulence theory, explain some of its strengths and weaknesses, and suggest how theory might be united with empiric data”

Techniques

Comparing the new 16S rRNA V4 and ITS primers to the old primers-RESULTS! – Embriette Hyde – MicroBEnet

“The Knight lab has been working hard testing new primers for 16S rRNA amplicon production and its time to share our progress.”

Microbes in the News

As permafrost soils thaw, soil microbes amplify global climate change – Science Daily

“Now, research by an international team of scientists from the U.S., Sweden and Australia, led by University of Arizona scientists, shows that a single species of microbe, discovered only very recently, is an unexpected key player in climate change.”

* The Scientist: Prof. Esther Angert Studies Extreme Bacteria – Siddesh Ramesh – Cornell Sun

“While the majority of bacteria cannot be seen without a microscope, there exists a group of bacterial species that is visible to the naked eye. Known as Epulopiscium, they are “an extreme on the spectrum of diversity of bacterial life in existence,” according to Prof. Esther Angert, microbiology.”

Bik’s Picks

Flare Alert: Monster Sunspot Turns Toward Earth – Ian O’Neill – Discovery

“Amateur astronomers have been wowed by a vast sunspot that has rotated to face Earth, the largest since this solar cycle began in 2008, and solar observatories (on the ground and orbiting Earth) are closely monitoring the region.“

Watch cell division with new, remarkable resolution: Nobel winner Betzig strikes again – Tech Times

“Just weeks after sharing the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work involving high-resolution microscopes, a U.S. researcher has again stunned the scientific world with a new technique that peers deeply into living cells.”

Ancient Europeans do not drink milk according to new study – BetaWired

“Almost everyone drinks milk today but a new study shows that ancient Europeans were not milk lovers back in the old days. According to a DNA analysis result, ancient Europeans are lactose intolerant.”

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Microbiome digest, October 16, 2014

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Lung microbiome and pneumonia, bacterial vaginosis, microbiome and jetlag, cardiovascular consequences of gut dysbiosis, bacteria in locust guts and cropland in China, and how to earn some $$$ with your poop.

Human respiratory microbiome

Single-Molecule Long-Read 16S Sequencing To Characterize the Lung Microbiome from Mechanically Ventilated Patients with Suspected Pneumonia – Ian Toma – Journal of Clinical Microbiology

“The present study used NGS of essentially full-length PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA from the bronchial aspirates of intubated patients with suspected pneumonia.”

Human vaginal microbiome

Recent progress in understanding the epidemiology of bacterial vaginosis – Kenyon, Chris R.; Osbak, Kara – Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology

“Bacterial vaginosis epidemiology has been transformed by new theoretical insights and methodologies, such as molecular sequencing. We summarize the progress made in these domains.”

Human gut microbiome

Transkingdom Control of Microbiota Diurnal Oscillations Promotes Metabolic Homeostasis – Christoph A. Thaiss – Cell

“Consequently, jet-lag-induced dysbiosis in both mice and humans promotes glucose intolerance and obesity that are transferrable to germ-free mice upon fecal transplantation.”

Far from the Eyes, Close to the Heart: Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Consequences – Matteo Serino – Current Cardiology Reports

“Here, we report evidence from the literature, as well as a few controversial reports, regarding the putative role of gut microbiota dysbiosis-induced cardiovascular diseases”

Insect microbiome

Cellulolytic activity and structure of symbiotic bacteria in locust guts – L-J Su – Genetics and Molecular Research

“The diversity of gut symbiotic bacteria was studied using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). “

Soil microbiome

* Effects of Manure Compost Application on Soil Microbial Community Diversity and Soil Microenvironments in a Temperate Cropland in China – Zhen Zhen – PLOS ONE

“Denaturing gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting analysis showed that the structure and composition of bacterial and fungi communities in the six fertilizer treatments varied at different levels. “

Water microbiome

Substratum-Associated Microbiota – Furey, Paula C.; Liess, Antonia – Water Environment Research

“In this review of the 2013 literature, advances in laboratory, field, and assessment methods are highlighted as are updates in taxonomy and systematics.”

More microbiology

Commensally sourced antibiotics – Cláudio Nunes-Alves – Nature Reviews Microbiology

“Donia et al. have carried out the first systematic screen of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in the healthy human microbiota and found that BGCs for the thiopeptide class of antibiotics are widely distributed.”

First aid kit for cholera – Andrea Du Toit – Nature Reviews Microbiology

“In a new study, Gordon and colleagues examined the role of the human gut microbiota in V. cholerae infection and showed that one of its members, Ruminococcus obeum, decreases the expression of V. cholerae virulence factors to limit colonization.”

Microbes in the news

* A Poop Bank in Massachusetts Will Pay You $40 Every Day – Chelsea Rice – Boston.com

“All you have to do is visit OpenBiome, launched in 2012 as the only independent nonprofit stool bank in the country.”

Study reveals rats in NYC carry variety of infectious bacteria – Larry McShane – New York Daily News

“The first-of-its-kind study showed the rodents carrying an average of two bacteria capable of causing gastrointestinal problems for humans and the Seoul hantavirus, which causes a potentially life-threatening fever and kidney failure.”

* New Genes = New Archaea? – Molly Sharlach – The Scientist

“The study, published today (October 15) in Nature, also suggests that genetic transfers from bacteria to archaea are at least five times more common than from archaea to bacteria.”

Bik’s Picks

“Epicenters” of resilience – Mary Lou Zoback – Science

“The 25th anniversary of the magnitude (M) 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area on 17 October 1989 is a fitting time to examine what progress has been made in increasing community resilience to minimize seismic risk. “

Cells’ powerhouses were once energy parasites: Study upends current theories of how mitochondria began – Science Daily

“Parasitic bacteria were the first cousins of the mitochondria that power cells in animals and plants — and first acted as energy parasites in those cells before becoming beneficial, according to a new study”

How Did We Become a Society Suspicious of Science? – Keith M. Parsons – Huffington Post

“But something has been lost. Fifty years ago science was king. Science had respect; it was bigger than ideology. No longer. “

 

Biology Week: Bio-bodies Bake Off Public Vote – Physiological Society

“In the lead up to biology week we set you a challenge! We wanted you to celebrate the science of life by creating your own physiology bakes, and you didn’t let us down! ”

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Microbiome digest, October 15, 2014

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A seminar this Friday with Pat Schloss, but without HMP girl, aspartame and gut microbiome in a rat model, bacteria in arsenic contaminated soil, and inter-kingdom horizontal gene transfer.

Human oral microbiome

General Immune Status and Oral Microbiology in Patients with Different Forms of Periodontitis and Healthy Control Subjects – Jana Schmidt – PLOS ONE

“Subgingival plaque samples were taken from each individual and immediately cultivated for microbiological examination.”

Pregnancy and birth

* The vaginal microbiome, vaginal anti-microbial defence mechanisms and the clinical challenge of reducing infection-related preterm birth – SS Witkin – BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

“Ascending bacterial infection is implicated in about 40–50% of preterm births. “

Animal models of microbiome research

* Low-Dose Aspartame Consumption Differentially Affects Gut Microbiota-Host Metabolic Interactions in the Diet-Induced Obese Rat – Marie S. A. Palmnäs – PLOS ONE

“Serum metabolomics analysis revealed aspartame to be rapidly metabolized and to be associated with elevations in the short chain fatty acid propionate, a bacterial end product and highly gluconeogenic substrate, potentially explaining its negative affects on insulin tolerance. “

Effect of dietary supplementation with resveratrol on nutrient digestibility, methanogenesis and ruminal microbial flora in sheep – T. Ma – Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition

“Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of resveratrol on methanogenesis and microbial flora in Dorper × thin-tailed Han cross-bred ewes. “

Soil microbiome

Changing precipitation pattern alters soil microbial community response to wet-up under a Mediterranean-type climate – Romain L Barnard – ISME Journal

“Here, we investigated the effects of extending winter rainfall into the normally dry summer period on soil microbial response to a controlled rewetting event”

Surface binding and intracellular uptake of arsenic in bacteria isolated from arsenic contaminated site – Neha Vishnoi, Sonal Dixit, D.P. Singh – Ecological Engineering

“The present study deals with the surface binding and uptake of arsenic (As) in two bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis and Paenibacillus macerans) isolated from the As contaminated soil.”

Water microbiome

Effects of ecological engineered oxygenation on the bacterial community structure in an anoxic fjord in western Sweden – Michael Forth – ISME Journal

“We used molecular ecologic methods to study changes in bacterial community structure in response to the oxygenation in the Byfjord. “

Food microbiology

Assessment of the bacterial and fungal diversity in home-made yoghurts of Xinjiang, China by pyrosequencing – Haiyan Xu – Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

“The bacterial and fungal community diversity in 22 home-made yoghurt samples was analyzed by pyrosequencing. “

CRISPRs, phages, viruses

In Hopes Of Fixing Faulty Genes, One Scientist Starts With The Basics – Joe Palca – NPR Morning Edition

“That’s certainly true for Jennifer Doudna. She hasn’t won a Nobel Prize, but many are whispering that she’s in line to win one for her work on something called CRISPR/Cas9 — a tool for editing genes.”

Bioinformatics and metagenomics

* Inter-phylum HGT has shaped the metabolism of many mesophilic and anaerobic bacteria – Alejandro Caro-Quintero and Konstantinos T Konstantinidis – ISME Journal

“Here, we devised a novel bioinformatic pipeline, which minimized the effect of over-representation of specific taxa in the available databases and other limitations of homology-based approaches by analyzing genomes in standardized triplets, to quantify gene exchange between bacterial genomes representing different phyla. “

* Origins of major archaeal clades correspond to gene acquisitions from bacteria –
Shijulal Nelson-Sathi – Nature

“To investigate the origin of higher taxa in archaea, we have determined gene distributions and gene phylogenies for the 267,568 protein-coding genes of 134 sequenced archaeal genomes in the context of their homologues from 1,847 reference bacterial genomes.”

Evidence of Carbon Fixation Pathway in a Bacterium from Candidate Phylum SBR1093 Revealed with Genomic Analysis – Zhiping Wang – PLOS ONE

“A phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene reveals that the phylotypes within candidate phylum SBR1093 are primarily clustered into 5 clades with a shallow branching pattern. “

Metagenomic Approach Reveals Variation of Microbes with Arsenic and Antimony Metabolism Genes from Highly Contaminated Soil – Jinming Luo – PLOS ONE

“Metagenomic analysis revealed that microbes from 18 phyla were present in the 5 samples of soil contaminated with high As and Sb.”

More microbiology

* The Phylogeny of Everything, the Origin of Eukaryotes, and the Rules of Taxonomy: Death to Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya! Long live Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Eukaryota, and Prokaryota! – Judge Starling

“The molecular revelation based on orthologous ribosomal RNA sequences that prokaryotes are separable into two basic taxa—archaebacteria and eubacteria, and that these two taxa are approximately equidistant from eukaryotes, prompted Woese et al. (1990) to come up with a tripartite taxonomy of all life forms.”

Adhesion as a weapon in microbial competition – Jonas Schluter – ISME Journal

“We test the predictions of our model using the enteric pathogen Vibrio cholerae, which produces an extracellular matrix important for biofilm formation. “

Microbes in the news:

* Google Hangout on Friday: MicroSeminar: A new way of doing conferences – Pat Schloss

“You will not see HMP Girl, no quotes of specious statistics, no mention of obscure disease, and no venturing into the weeds of bioinformatics. I will be describing unpublished experiments from the lab where we have taken various sources of microorganisms and used them to colonize mice that lack their own microbiota.”

‘Grapes of Wrath’: Stomping out grape disease one vineyard at a time – Phys.org

“A Rochester Institute of Technology scientist and an RIT alumnus are close to completing the genetic blueprint, or microbiome, of grape crown gall tumor disease—the bane of vineyards worldwide. ”

Redefining Human: The Microbiome Documentary Series – Root House Studio – Kickstarter

“We know science documentaries can be painfully boring, so Redefining Human will use a variety of new techniques to turn this complex science into an informative and entertaining documentary series.”

What’s in my microbiome? – Richard Sprague

“To find out what’s in my microbiome now, I bought a $400 kit from the San Francisco company uBiome. “

Science, publishing and career

* Rise of the Rest: The Growing Impact of Non-Elite Journals – Anurag Acharya – Google / Arxiv

“Our analysis indicates that the number of top-1000 papers published in non-elite journals for the representative subject category went from 149 in 1995 to 245 in 2013, a growth of 64%.”

Review rewards – Welcome efforts are being made to recognize academics who give up their time to peer review – Nature Editorial

“A welcome movement is under way to publicly register and recognize the hitherto invisible efforts of referees.”

Overqualified or underqualified? – Carrie Arnold – Science

“As unemployment stretched from weeks into months, Milstein decided that her Ph.D. was working against her. “

 

Satire: Facebook Offers To Freeze Female Employee’s Newborn Children – The Onion

“Women deserve to have the option to postpone motherhood until they feel fully prepared, which is why Facebook will also cover the cryonic facility’s annual maintenance costs for as many years as our employees feel they need. “

Bik’s Picks

360-Degree View of the Tomato – Anna Azvolinsky – The Scientist

“Researchers have sequenced 360 varieties of the tomato plant to create a comprehensive map of the evolution of the fruit from its wild form to the modern varieties. “

Extinct giant kangaroos didn’t hop, they walked – Andy Coghlan – New Scientist

“They had faces like rabbits and some were 2 metres tall. But now it seems that an extinct giant kangaroo didn’t hop – it walked.“

 

Chimpanzees have favorite ‘tool set’ for hunting staple food of army ants – Science Daily

“New research shows that chimpanzees search for the right tools from a key plant species when preparing to ‘ant dip’ — a crafty technique enabling them to feast on army ants without getting bitten. “

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Microbiome Digest, October 9, 2014

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Human microbiome general

Advancing the Microbiome Research Community – Curtis Huttenhower – Cell

“We outline opportunities in interdisciplinary research, analytical rigor, standardization, and policy development for this relatively new and rapidly developing field. “

Human oral microbiome

Bioinformatic investigation of the cost management strategies of five oral microbes – K.J. Cross – Molecular Oral Microbiology

“The aim of this study was to investigate if five oral bacterial species implement cost management strategies to reduce the energy burden of extracellular unrecyclable proteins.”

Human skin microbiome

Identification of molecular mechanisms used by Finegoldia magna to penetrate and colonize human skin – Elizabeth C. Murphy – Molecular Microbiology

“This study examines the molecular mechanisms F. magna uses when colonizing or establishing an infection in the skin. “

Human gut microbiome

Bacterial ClpB heat-shock protein, an antigen-mimetic of the anorexigenic peptide α-MSH, at the origin of eating disorders – N Tennoune – Translational Psychiatry

“Here, using proteomics, we identified ClpB heat-shock disaggregation chaperone protein of commensal gut bacteria Escherichia coli as a conformational antigen mimetic of α-MSH.”

Animal models of microbiome research

Effects of essential oil supplementation of a low-energy diet on performance, intestinal morphology and microflora, immune properties and antioxidant activities in weaned pigs – Zhikai Zeng – Animal Science Journal

Soil microbiome

Poster presentation: Starting study of microbial genetics diversity in soils of mangrove preserved in sergipe – Karla Cristina Santos Freire – BMC Proceedings

“This paper proposes the characterization and evaluation of structures and diversity of microbial communities in the soil of mangroves in three conservation areas located in Sergipe.“

Community assembly of ectomycorrhizal fungi along a subtropical secondary forest succession – Cheng Gao – New Phytologist

“We examined the communities of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi in young, intermediate and old forests in a Chinese subtropical ecosystem, using 454 pyrosequencing”

Metagenomics / Bioinformatics

Functional phylogenomics analysis of bacteria and archaea using consistent genome annotation with UniFam – Juanjuan Chai – BMC Evolutionary Biology

“A total of 14,727 GenBank prokaryotic genomes were re-annotated using a new protein family database, UniFam, to obtain consistent functional annotations for accurate comparison. “

More Microbiology

Halting harmful helminths – Karl F. Hoffmann, Paul J. Brindley, Matthew Berriman – Science

“More than 300 million people are infected each year with parasitic flatworms such as hydatid tapeworms and blood fluke schistosomes. “

Chromosome position effects on gene expression in Escherichia coli K-12 – Jack A. Bryant – Nucleic Acids Research

“Here, using Escherichia coli K-12, we demonstrate that expression of a reporter gene cassette, comprised of the model E. coli lac promoter driving expression of gfp, varies by ∼300-fold depending on its precise position on the chromosome. “

Microbes in the news

‘Good Poop’ Diet Is the Next Big Thing – Daniela Drake – The Daily Beast

“Now a new book, The Skinny Gut Diet, by nutritionist Brenda Watson, tracks the progress of people who follow a diet specifically designed to alter the gut microbiome. “

Another probiotic advantage: Bacteria protects against heavy metal poisoning – Jim Algar – Tech Times

“Probiotic bacteria found in yogurt can protect people from the effects of exposure to heavy metals, particularly in pregnant women and children, a Canadian study suggests.”

Science, publishing, career

The scientists who get credit for peer review – Richard Van Noorden – Nature

“Publons rewards researchers for putting their peer-review activity online. Nature spoke to the startup’s co-founder and two super-users.”

Meet the New Underclass: People With Ph.D.s in Science – Mark Strauss – iO9

“Once upon a time, newly-minted science Ph.D.s would get research jobs at a senior scientist’s laboratory, to train and hone the ideas they would explore at their own labs. But now the supply of post-doctoral students is outpacing demand, creating a new, hyper-educated underclass.”

Glut of postdoc researchers stirs quiet crisis in science –  Carolyn Y. Johnson – Boston Globe

Japan’s Missing Female Scientists – Jack Grove – Times Higher Education

“Too many female scientists are leaving Japan because they do not feel they can get ahead in its “male-dominated” society, a senior university leader has said.”

Bik’s Picks

Cave paintings change ideas about the origin of art – Pallab Ghosh – BBC

“Researchers tell the journal Nature that the Indonesian discovery transforms ideas about how humans first developed the ability to produce art.”

A timeline of a baby’s first hour – Laura Sanders – Science News

Fired science teacher did not have state license – 9 News

“The teacher fired after his science experiment injured four students, one seriously, did not have a valid Colorado teacher’s license.”

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