Microbiome News and Research

Latest Microbiome News and Research

UniFrac microbiome tool optimized for computer GPUs

Researchers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California San Diego have been applying their high-performance computing expertise by porting the popular UniFrac microbiome tool to graphic processing units in a bid to increase the acceleration and accuracy of scientific discovery, including urgently needed COVID-19 research.

18 Apr 2020

McMaster researchers to study why some people are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2

Two McMaster University professors have received research funding to boost their work to identify COVID-19 infection rates and to understand why some people are more susceptible to the virus.

17 Apr 2020

Study: Early changes in microbiome development can impact health and disease later in life

A team of researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has characterized how the gut microbiome develops in the first hours of infancy, providing a critical baseline for how changes in this environment can impact health and disease later in life.

17 Apr 2020

Study shows it is safe to give antibiotics to mothers after umbilical cord clamping in C-sections, to avoid exposure of newborns

Research shows it is safe to give antibiotics to mothers after umbilical clamping in C section, to avoid exposure of the baby.

17 Apr 2020

Researchers explore how probiotic Bifidobacteria could help celiac disease patients

Gluten is enemy No. 1 for those with celiac disease, and it's hard to avoid. Episodes of this chronic autoimmune illness can be triggered by ingesting gluten, a key protein in wheat and some other grains.

15 Apr 2020

Breastmilk influences accumulation of viruses in the infant gut

Even small amounts of breastmilk strongly influences the accumulation of viral populations in the infant gut and provides a protective effect against potentially pathogenic viruses, according to researchers who examined hundreds of babies in a study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

15 Apr 2020

Women born by cesarean have greater risk of obesity and diabetes

A new study published in the open-access journal JAMA Network Open in April 2020 suggests that women born by way of a Cesarean section are at higher risk of developing obesity as well as type 2 diabetes mellitus in adult life.

13 Apr 2020

UMSOM launches new initiative to expand COVID-19 testing

University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today the launch of a large-scale COVID-19 Testing Initiative that will significantly expand testing capability over the coming weeks, enabled by new funding of $2.5 million from the State of Maryland.

12 Apr 2020

Arizona COVID-19 Genomics Union to study how the virus may be evolving

The Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University, and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona have formed a union dedicated to tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus, it was announced today.

10 Apr 2020

Improper cellular cleanup during neurodevelopment may cause lifelong behavioral issues

Improper removal of faulty brain cells during neurodevelopment may cause lifelong behavioral issues, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests.

9 Apr 2020

Top NAU microbiologist joins Arizona COVID-19 Genomics Union

The Translational Genomics Research Institute, an affiliate of City of Hope, The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Arizona have formed a union dedicated to tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus, it was announced today.

8 Apr 2020

Vaginal bacteria linked to premature birth

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology in April 2020 reports that women who deliver early are more likely to have a greater variety of bacteria in their birth canals. The research also highlights specific bacteria that are associated with premature birth. This knowledge could help design tests to screen for high-risk pregnancies.

8 Apr 2020

Study provides insights into how microbes protect gut health in early life

A new study has provided insights into how microbes protect gut health from the moment of birth.

7 Apr 2020

Study highlights a new way to identify antibiotic resistance genes

Apes in U.S. zoos host bacterial communities in their intestinal tracts that are more similar to those of people who eat a non-Western diet than to the gut makeup of their wild ape cousins, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.

7 Apr 2020

Clemson study provides insight into role of fungi in early childhood dental health

Although mostly preventable, tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases in children worldwide, particularly in developing countries. If left untreated, cavities can be painful and may negatively affect a young child's overall health, development and quality of life.

6 Apr 2020

Study: Early introduction of solid foods may predispose infants to obesity

Infants who were started on solid foods at or before three months of age showed changes in the levels of gut bacteria and bacterial byproducts, called short-chain fatty acids, measured in their stool samples, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

1 Apr 2020

TGen ramps up testing for COVID-19 to combat global health threat

Since mid-January, the Translational Genomics Research Institute has joined the world-wide effort to test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the COVID-19 disease.

31 Mar 2020

Pilot study will provide data for further testing of gut microbiome analysis

The intestinal microbiota, composed by the microorganisms that live in our intestines, can give us information about our health, since its composition may depend on factors such as the diet, the lifestyle or our pathologies.

31 Mar 2020

How to boost your immune system to fight coronavirus

As the world struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are trying to protect themselves against the virus by all means possible. There are currently no vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), so boosting the immune system by way of diet, regular exercise, and sleep are sensible measures.

31 Mar 2020

UDCA treatment affects C. diff life cycle, reduces inflammatory response in mice

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that a commonly used drug made from secondary bile acids can affect the life cycle of Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) in vitro and reduce the inflammatory response to C. diff in mice.

30 Mar 2020