Link to download eBook: https://offers.the-scientist.com/a-connected-community-the-rise-of-microbiome-research-multisponosred-ebook
In this issue, I contributed 4 short science news stories that explore how microbes shape health, disease, and the world beyond.
Gut Microbes Alter the Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet
Longitudinal dietary habits and stool samples help scientists understand how the gut microbiome determines whether an individual fully benefits from a heart healthy diet.
Reference: D.D. Wang et al., “The gut microbiome modulates the protective association between a Mediterranean diet and cardiometabolic disease risk,” Nat Med, 27:333-43, 2021.
Increased Rates of Gene Transfer in Industrialized Microbes
From urban metropolises to pastoral communities, the world around us shapes the function of our microbiome through frequent horizontal gene transfer.
Reference: M. Groussin et al., “Elevated rates of horizontal gene transfer in the industrial- ized human microbiome,” Cell, 184(8): 2053-67, 2021.
Searching the Seas for New Antifungals
The sea squirt microbiome helps researchers combat the growing problem of drug-resistant fungi.
Reference: F. Zhang et al., “A marine microbiome anti- fungal targets urgent-threat drug-resistant fungi,” Science, 370(6519):974-78, 2020.
Legume Trees Hold the Microbial Key to Unlock Essential Soil Nutrients
Nitrogen-fixing trees and their soil microbiomes play an important role in fertilizing the tropical forest community.
Reference: D.Z. Epihov et al., “Legume-microbiome interactions unlock mineral nutrients in regrowing tropical forests,” PNAS, 118(11):e2022241118, 2021.
