Add BrightSurf on Google Email

More than just a carnival trick: Researchers can guess your age based on your microbes

A new study has found that researchers can accurately predict a person's chronological age using machine learning algorithms and microbiome samples. The study analyzed data from over 4,400 participants across various body sites, including skin, saliva, and feces, and found significant gender-specific differences in gut microbiome results.

Algae shown to improve gastrointestinal health

A study by University of California San Diego researchers shows that consuming green algae improves human gastrointestinal issues associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) such as diarrhea, gas and bloating. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in bowel discomfort and more regular bowel movements among participants.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalJournal of Functional Foods·DateJan 27, 2020

Lung microbiome may help predict outcomes in critically ill patients

Research suggests that lung bacteria can predict clinical outcomes in critically ill patients, with certain bacteria associated with worse outcomes and the presence of gut-associated bacteria found in the lungs. The study's findings have implications for developing new therapies to prevent and treat critical illness.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateJan 24, 2020

New algorithm suggests four-level food web for gut microbes

A new computational model suggests that the human gut microbiome follows a four-level food web, with energy flowing from microbes that consume nutrients in food eaten by humans, to those that eat nutrients produced by these microbes. The model predicts systematic changes in species composition along the length of the gut.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateDec 19, 2019

Bats don't rely on gut bacteria the way humans do

Researchers discovered that bats have fewer bacterial species living in their guts than in their mouths and skin. The kinds of bacteria living in the bats' guts varied from species to species without following any apparent evolutionary pattern, a stark contrast to other mammals.

SourceField Museum·JournalmSystems·DateNov 12, 2019

Where the sun doesn't shine? Skin UV exposure reflected in poop

A new study found that skin UVB exposure increases gut microbial diversity and favors the growth of Lachnospiraceae bacteria, which are linked to vitamin D status. The results suggest a potential link between UVB light exposure and the protective effect against inflammatory diseases like MS and IBD.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Microbiology·DateOct 24, 2019

Spaceflight consistently affects the gut

A new Northwestern University study discovered that spaceflight consistently changes the abundance and diversity of gut bacteria in mice. Using a novel analytical tool called STARMAPS, researchers found that spaceflight causes a specific change on the microbiome, but ruled out radiation as the cause.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalMicrobiome·DateAug 21, 2019

New findings from Human Microbiome Project reveal how microbiome is disrupted during IBD

A new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard found that changes in the gut microbiome during IBD trigger an unhealthy inflammatory reaction. The research, part of the Human Microbiome Project, identified specific chemicals and microbial shifts that contribute to disease activity.

Human gut microbiome physiology can now be studied in vitro using Organ Chip technology

Researchers have developed an 'anaerobic Intestine Chip' that stably maintains a complex human microbiome and provides a protective physiological barrier. This breakthrough technology allows for direct investigations of health and disease-related human-microbiome interactions under low oxygen conditions.

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalNature Biomedical Engineering·DateMay 13, 2019