Topic
Microbiome research, explained
16 open-access microbiome studies, each with a flashcard deck and a quiz.
- Human body microbiome biogeography
Healthy human body sites host distinct bacterial communities across a massive 16S survey.
- Is the colon lining’s microbiome different in cancer?
In 31 CRC patients vs 30 healthy volunteers, tumor mucosa had lower 16S diversity, more Firmicutes and Fusobacteria, and less Proteobacteria; Lactococcus/Fusobacterium rose in tumors while Pseudomonas fell.
- Antibiotics hurt bee gut and survival
Tetracycline shrinks the honeybee gut microbiome and elevates mortality after hive return.
- Mendelian randomisation associates specific gut taxa with several cancers
Genetic instruments for gut microbiota taxa showed causal associations with breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, gastric, and head/neck cancers—sometimes in opposing directions for the same genus.
- Selective bacterial BSH shifts host metabolism
Bacteroides bile salt hydrolase BT2086 selectively deconjugates bile acids and alters host metabolism.
- Gut microbes, blood metabolites, and metabolic traits
In 531 METSIM men, gut microbiota associate with plasma metabolites and metabolic-syndrome-relevant traits.
- B. dorei rises before T1D autoimmunity
Bacteroides dorei dominates the gut microbiome before autoimmunity in high-risk Finnish children.
- Can E. coli Nissle vesicles calm experimental colitis?
Oral outer-membrane vesicles from probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 reduced DSS colitis severity in mice and lowered inflammatory cytokines while restoring TFF-3.
- How do gut-bacteria vesicles enter host cells?
B. thetaiotaomicron outer-membrane vesicles are taken up within minutes via dynamin-dependent endocytosis/macropinocytosis and traffic to Golgi/ER/lysosomes.
- Infant diet shapes gut–host immunity
Breast- vs formula-fed infants differ in gut microbiota and host immune gene expression.
- Pesticides reshape honey bee gut microbes
In-hive pesticide exposures change honey bee gut bacterial and fungal community composition.
- How much do gut bacterial gene contents differ?
Same gut bacterial species can differ widely in gene content across people, shaping functional individuality.
- Is the gut microbiome the same along the intestine?
Swine mucosal and luminal microbiomes differ by gut section, with distinct diversity patterns and bile-acid/SCFA environments.
- Does leaving foraging change the gut microbiome?
Among 54 Himalayan people, gut microbiomes tracked farming history: Chepang foragers looked most traditional, Tharu farmers closer to Americans, and recently transitioned Raute/Raji sat in between.
- Can gut microbes cause pregnancy complications?
Two-sample MR of 18,340 MiBioGen participants versus FinnGen pregnancy GWAS found taxon-specific IVW signals—e.g. Deltaproteobacteria raising PPH risk (OR 1.26) and Butyricimonas lowering it (OR 0.79).
- How did some Enterococcus faecium become hospital pathogens?
Comparative pangenomes split E. faecium into a mixed-source subclade I and a human-only subclade II with larger genomes packed with resistance, virulence, bacteriocin, and mobile genes likely gained by HGT.