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bacteria and DNA molecules on a purple background.
Engineering the Microbiome: CRISPR Leads the Way
Scientists have genetically modified isolated microbes for decades. Now, using CRISPR, they intend to target entire microbiomes.
Engineering the Microbiome: CRISPR Leads the Way
Engineering the Microbiome: CRISPR Leads the Way

Scientists have genetically modified isolated microbes for decades. Now, using CRISPR, they intend to target entire microbiomes.

Scientists have genetically modified isolated microbes for decades. Now, using CRISPR, they intend to target entire microbiomes.

human microbiome

cartoon gut microbes
Standardizing Gut Microbiome Studies
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Jan 24, 2024 | 2 min read
NIST has spent years developing a human fecal reference material.
Bright purple and orange lactobacillus bacteria.
How a Specific Gut Bacterium May Cause Type 1 Diabetes
Dan Robitzski | Aug 25, 2022 | 5 min read
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.
A Little Help From My Friends: Lessons Learned From Microbiome Metagenomics
The Scientist | 1 min read
Heather Jordan and Jennifer Wargo will discuss how metagenomics studies help uncover new and medically relevant functions of the human microbiome.
Artist’s rendition of bright blue microbes among intestinal lining
Study Links Depression with High Levels of an Amino Acid
Dan Robitzski | Jun 14, 2022 | 5 min read
Experiments in animals and observations in humans suggest that the amount of proline circulating in one’s plasma has a strong association with depression severity.
A scanning electron micrograph of a fetal gut, pseudocolored in yellow and blue
Microbes in Human Fetuses Spur Immune Development
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 3, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers identify live bacteria in fetal guts, skin, lungs, and placentas that activate memory T cells, indicating that early exposure to microbes could help educate the developing immune system.
The Scientist Speaks Podcast – Episode 4
The Scientist | 1 min read
Hidden Hitchhikers: Lessons Learned from The Human Microbiome Project
Gut Microbe Linked to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Abby Olena, PhD | Sep 19, 2019 | 3 min read
Researchers find strains of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae that produce high levels of alcohol in 60 percent of patients with the condition.
Gut Microbes Boost Flu Vaccine’s Success: Clinical Trial
Abby Olena, PhD | Sep 5, 2019 | 4 min read
Antibiotics disrupt the immune response to the influenza vaccine in people who haven’t recently had exposure to the virus or immunization.
HIV gut microbiome risk high immune system activation inflammation study
Men with High HIV Risk Have Unique Gut Microbes, Inflammation: Study
Chia-Yi Hou | Jul 8, 2019 | 2 min read
The microbiomes of men who have sex with men are associated with greater immune system activation and promote elevated rates of viral infection in vitro.
Many Non-Antibiotic Drugs Affect Gut Bacteria
Catherine Offord | Mar 19, 2018 | 2 min read
A new study finds that more than 200 human-targeted, non-antibiotic drugs inhibit the growth of bacterial species that make up part of the human microbiome.
Environment, Not Genetics, Primarily Shapes Microbiome Composition
Jim Daley | Feb 28, 2018 | 3 min read
Including microbiome composition in predictions of whether a person is obese can significantly improve their accuracy, according to an analysis.
In-Depth Look at the Human Microbiome
Jef Akst | Sep 20, 2017 | 2 min read
Hundreds of samples from microbes living in the gut, skin, mouth, and vagina add to the human microbiome “fingerprint.” 
Microbe Maven
The Scientist | Jul 16, 2017 | 1 min read
Meet Scientist to Watch Emily Balskus, who studies the microbes that inhabit humans.
Viruses of the Human Body
Eric Delwart | Nov 1, 2016 | 10 min read
Some of our resident viruses may be beneficial.
Neonatal Gut Bacteria Might Promote Asthma
Anna Azvolinsky | Sep 12, 2016 | 3 min read
Byproducts of gut microbes in some 1-month–old babies trigger inflammation that is linked to later asthma development, researchers find.
Your Office Has a Distinct Microbiome
Amanda B. Keener | Jul 1, 2016 | 5 min read
Researchers detail the major factors shaping the microbiomes that surround us while we work.
Hot Off the Presses
Bob Grant | Jul 1, 2016 | 3 min read
The Scientist reviews Serendipity, Complexity, The Human Superorgasism, and Love and Ruin
Students Study Their Own Microbiomes
Jef Akst | Jun 1, 2016 | 4 min read
Pooping into a petri dish is becoming standard practice as part of some college biology courses.
National Microbiome Initiative Launched
Tanya Lewis | May 13, 2016 | 2 min read
The White House announces a new effort to study diverse microbial communities around the planet.
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