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Cartoon of the gut with different colored bacteria and a magnifying glass hovering over part of the gut.
Humans Rely on Gut Bacteria for an Enzyme that Prevents Jaundice
An absence of bilirubin-producing gut microbes may predispose individuals to some diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease.
Humans Rely on Gut Bacteria for an Enzyme that Prevents Jaundice
Humans Rely on Gut Bacteria for an Enzyme that Prevents Jaundice

An absence of bilirubin-producing gut microbes may predispose individuals to some diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease.

An absence of bilirubin-producing gut microbes may predispose individuals to some diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease.

gut bacteria

Two pink-colored, rod-shaped bacteria interacting with a blue-colored human cell
Gut Bacterium Linked to Depression in Premenopause
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Mar 17, 2023 | 2 min read
The opportunistic pathogen Klebsiella aerogenes degrades estradiol and induces depressive-like behavior in mice, a study finds.
T regulatory cell in red sandwiching an antigen presenting cell in blue
Gut Bacteria Help T Cells Heal Muscle: Study
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Mar 14, 2023 | 4 min read
Regulatory T cells in the colon travel to muscles to promote wound healing in mice, raising questions about how antibiotics may impact injury recovery.
Manipulating the Microbiome to Manage Disease
The Scientist Creative Services Team in collaboration with Tecan | 1 min read
Cammie Lesser will discuss how she turns a probiotic into a drug-delivering machine, while Andrew Y. Koh will describe the connection between the gut microbiota and cancer immunotherapy efficacy.
Artist's rendering of rod-shaped bacteria
Gut Microbiomes Offer Insights into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Shafaq Zia | Feb 21, 2023 | 2 min read
Levels of health-promoting gut bacteria are linked with severity of fatigue symptoms, a study finds.
Pink neutrophils on a white background.
Mucus-Eating Gut Bacteria May Promote Fever After Cancer Treatment
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Jan 5, 2023 | 3 min read
The expansion of mucus-degraders in the mouse gut—possibly due to poor nutrition—thins the colon’s mucus layer and may weaken defenses against blood-infecting microbes.
Repurposing a Pathogenic Bacteria’s Weapon
LabTalk Podcast - Bugs with Drugs: Repurposing a Pathogenic Bacteria’s Weapon
The Scientist | 1 min read
Cammie Lesser describes her research developing designer probiotics to deliver protein-based therapeutics to the gut.
a white mouse sits on a blue exercise wheel, looking out onto the shavings below
Mice With a Healthy Gut Microbiome Are More Motivated to Exercise
Katherine Irving | Dec 16, 2022 | 4 min read
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. 
a small black mouse sits next to an obese black mouse on a white background
Obesity Protects Against Genital Herpes in Mice, Study Finds
Katherine Irving | Nov 11, 2022 | 3 min read
A high-fat diet induced changes to the animals’ vaginal microbiomes that boosted survival after exposure to the virus.
Matthieu Groussin sits with three other people on stools in front of a low table, on which there are several bowls of food. Another person stands above Groussin spooning something into a bowl.
Q&A: Gathering Diverse Microbiome Samples
Katherine Irving | Nov 3, 2022 | 8 min read
Cofounders of a microbiome biobank speak with The Scientist about their new partnership with nonprofit OpenBiome and how to ethically work with donors.
Illustration of green fluorescent bacterial cells.
Cocaine Use Creates Feedback Loop with Gut Bacteria: Mouse Study
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Nov 1, 2022 | 3 min read
A jolt of norepinephrine in the mouse gut facilitates colonization by certain microbes, which in turn deplete glycine, enhancing cocaine-induced behaviors.
illustration of liver with veins in blue and arteries in red.
Ethanol-Making Microbe Tied to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min read
A study adds to evidence linking gut bacteria to liver conditions in people who don’t drink excessive amounts of alcohol. 
A California coyote above Santa Monica beach
Human Gut Bacteria Show Up in Urban Wildlife
Bianca Nogrady | Sep 12, 2022 | 2 min read
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.
A premature infant drinking from a bottle
In Search of the Best Milk Recipe for Preemies’ Gut Bacteria
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Aug 22, 2022 | 5 min read
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.
A jar full of artificial sweetener packets.
Artificial Sweeteners Alter Gut Bacteria in Humans
Shafaq Zia | Aug 19, 2022 | 4 min read
When consumed for as little as two weeks, common alternatives to sugar affect intestinal bacterial communities, with some reducing the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose levels, a study finds.
Illustration of bacteriophages infecting a bacterium
Phages Treat Gut Inflammation in Mice
Andy Carstens | Aug 4, 2022 | 5 min read
Mixtures of viruses that attack inflammatory bowel disease–causing bacteria in mice also survive the digestive tract and are well-tolerated in humans, a study finds.
illustration of inside of gut with floating bacteria
Finding Could Pave the Way to New, Targeted Antibody Treatments
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 8, 2022 | 3 min read
IgA antibodies appear to bind to specific species of commensal gut bacteria in mice, according to a study.
A section of a mouse distal colon showing luminal contents with bacteria in magenta, the mucus lining (green) and the epithelial cell barrier of the gut (blue, right).
Mapping the Neighborhoods of the Gut Microbiome
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 1, 2022 | 7 min read
Researchers are going beyond fecal samples to understand how the patterns of commensal microbes in the gastrointestinal tract influence development and health.
A white lab mouse peers over the wall of a sprawling maze
Bacterial Metabolite May Regulate Cognition in Mice
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Jun 3, 2022 | 3 min read
Microbes in the gut influence the death of support cells in the brain by producing isoamylamine, a study suggests.
Person taking antibiotic pill
What Happens to the Gut Microbiome After Taking Antibiotics?
Sophie Fessl, PhD | May 5, 2022 | 5 min read
Studies are finding that a single course of antibiotics alters the gut microbiomes of healthy volunteers—and that it can take months or even years to recover the original species composition.
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