microbiome, microbiology

A neural pathway between the gut and the brain led to the release of dopamine when the mice ran on a wheel or treadmill, but only in the presence of a robust microbiome. 

At 33, Dal Co had already founded her own microbial ecology lab at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

A high-fat diet induced changes to the animals’ vaginal microbiomes that boosted survival after exposure to the virus.

Cofounders of a microbiome biobank speak with The Scientist about their new partnership with nonprofit OpenBiome and how to ethically work with donors.

A jolt of norepinephrine in the mouse gut facilitates colonization by certain microbes, which in turn deplete glycine, enhancing cocaine-induced behaviors.

Staphylococcus aureus appears to be the culprit.

Pups born to mice whose mothers had been fed a high-fat diet showed social deficits, a study shows. 

All multicellular creatures interact with bacteria, but some have taken the relationship to another level with highly specialized structures that house, feed, and exploit the tiny organisms.

Specialized structures in plants and animals help attract and mediate communication with bacterial symbionts.

It’s not clear whether, or how, the organisms might play a role in disease pathology.

The gut microbiomes of city-dwelling animals, including coyotes, lizards, and birds, show similarities to those found in humans who also live in urban environments.

Gut microbiome–based solutions hold promise for addressing obesity, but are they overhyped?

A bacterium that produces an insulin-like peptide can give mice type 1 diabetes, and infection with the microbe seems to predict the onset of the disease in humans, a study finds.

Milk fortifiers of human origin show no evident advantage in the development of the gut microbiota of premature infants over fortifiers derived from cows, while the intake of the mother’s own milk does, two studies suggest.