Zhao Liping is a Chinese microbiologist who studied his own microbiome to understand obesity. After gaining significant weight, he adopted a regimen of fermented foods like Chinese yam and bitter melon believed to change gut bacteria. This led to weight loss of 20 kg in 2 years along with improved health markers. His personal experience inspired him to research the role of the microbiome in conditions like diabetes and obesity. While the field is still young, Zhao hopes to establish a molecular pathway between gut microbes and obesity through human and animal studies.
The document discusses factors that influence the development of the infant microbiome and its potential link to obesity risk later in life. It states that the microbiome develops both before and after birth, and is shaped by factors like birth mode, initial feeding method, antibiotic use, and diet. Diet plays the most significant role after infancy, with high fiber diets cultivating more diverse microbiomes. The composition of the infant microbiome may impact obesity risk through the microbiome's role in energy regulation and inflammation. Alterations in the microbiome could increase obesity risk through mechanisms like increased energy harvest from food, raised inflammatory responses, and changes in lipid metabolism.
The document summarizes research on the gut microbiome and its relationship to obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It reviews how the microbiome is influenced by factors from birth and can impact disease risk. Studies show differences in microbiome composition between obese, normal weight, and NAFLD patients, with NAFLD patients having higher levels of Escherichia bacteria that can produce alcohol. A pilot study found that treating pediatric NAFLD patients with the probiotic Lactobacillus GG for 8 weeks improved liver enzymes regardless of weight changes. Further research is still needed to fully understand the mechanisms and potential microbiome-based therapies.
2 (2011) the role of gut micriobiota and the mucosal barrier in the pathogene...Daniel Chan
This document summarizes research on the role of gut microbiota and the mucosal barrier in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancer. It discusses how germ-free and gnotobiotic animal models that are free of microbes or colonized with specific microbes have provided insights. Studies using these models have shown that gut microbiota components can directly influence chronic intestinal inflammation and colon cancer development. Additionally, microbiota colonization protects against autoimmune diabetes in mice. The document also reviews the composition and function of the gut microbiota and mucosal barrier, which involves mucus, epithelial cells, antimicrobial peptides, and immune cells that help maintain homeostasis and prevent pathogen invasion.
This document discusses research on intestinal microflora being conducted in Korea. It describes several research groups and projects investigating the roles of intestinal microflora in drug metabolism, food digestion, and human health. The goals are to better understand how microflora influence toxicity and to characterize differences in Korean microflora related to factors like diet. There is also a focus on developing diagnostic tools and establishing a Korean intestinal microflora database. The research aims to improve safety evaluation of drug metabolites and enable personalized medicine based on individual microfloral profiles.
The Gut-Brain Connection: An Inside Look at DepressionAugustin Bralley
The document discusses the gut microbiome and its importance in human health and disease. It notes that the gut contains trillions of bacteria that play a key role in nutrient absorption, immune function, and metabolism. Specific tests are mentioned that can provide insight into the gut microbiome, such as stool analysis, intestinal permeability testing, and organic acid testing in urine. The gut microbiome is suggested to influence conditions like obesity, inflammation, and mental health issues like depression. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is presented as important for overall wellness.
VHIR Seminar led by Joel Doré. Research Director. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA). Jouy-en-Josas, France.
Abstract: The human intestinal tract harbours a complex microbial ecosystem which plays a key role in nutrition and health. Interactions between food constituents, microbes and the host organism derive from a long co-evolution that resulted in a mutualistic association.
Current investigations into the human faecal metagenome are delivering an extensive gene repertoire representative of functional potentials of the human intestinal microbiota. The most redundant genomic traits of the human intestinal microbiota are identified and thereby its functional balance. These observation point towards the existence of enterotypes, i.e. microbiota sharing specific traits but yet independent of geographic origin, age, sex etc.. It also shows a unique segregation of the human population into individuals with low versus high gene-counts. In the end, it not only gives an unprecedented view of the intestinal microbiota, but it also significantly expands our ability to look for specificities of the microbiota associated with human diseases and to ultimately validate microbial signatures of prognostic and diagnostic value in immune mediated diseases.
Metagenomics of the human intestinal tract was applied to specifically compare obese versus lean individuals as well as to explore the dynamic changes associated with a severe calory-restricted diet. Microbiota structure differs with body-mass index and a limited set of marker species may be used as diagnostic model with a >85% predictive value. Among obese subjects; the overall phenotypic characteristics are worse in individuals with low gene counts microbiota, including a worse evolution of morphometric parameters over a period of 10 years, a low grade inflammatory context also associated with insulin-resistance, and the worst response to dietary constraints in terms of weight loss or improvement of biological and inflammatory characteristics. Low gene count microbiota is also associated with less favourable conditions in inflammatory bowel disease, such as higher relapse rate in ulcerative colitis patients.
Finally, microbiota transplantation has seen a regain of interest with applications expanding from Clostridium difficile infections to immune mediated and metabolic diseases.
The human intestinal microbiota should hence be regarded as a true organ, amenable to rationally designed modulation for human health.
Ellen Kamhi, PhD RN, The Natural Nurse, Leaky Gut is also called Compromised Intestinal Permeability, due to loss of integrity of the tight junctions between cells in the intestinal mucosa, and is well documented in the scientific literature. See my document Role of Intestinal Permeability in the Inflammatory Process. This condition should be addressed by all health care providers.
1) The gut microbiota plays a key role in host development, physiology, and health by modulating the immune system and influencing organ development and metabolism.
2) The gut microbiota is dominated by anaerobic bacteria and contains over 500-1000 bacterial species from a few bacterial phyla. It outnumbers human cells 10:1 and contains many metabolic functions.
3) The gut microbiota influences the properties of the intestinal mucus layer, induces the development of lymphoid structures, and tailors immune development through effects on both the innate and adaptive immune systems.
The document discusses factors that influence the development of the infant microbiome and its potential link to obesity risk later in life. It states that the microbiome develops both before and after birth, and is shaped by factors like birth mode, initial feeding method, antibiotic use, and diet. Diet plays the most significant role after infancy, with high fiber diets cultivating more diverse microbiomes. The composition of the infant microbiome may impact obesity risk through the microbiome's role in energy regulation and inflammation. Alterations in the microbiome could increase obesity risk through mechanisms like increased energy harvest from food, raised inflammatory responses, and changes in lipid metabolism.
The document summarizes research on the gut microbiome and its relationship to obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It reviews how the microbiome is influenced by factors from birth and can impact disease risk. Studies show differences in microbiome composition between obese, normal weight, and NAFLD patients, with NAFLD patients having higher levels of Escherichia bacteria that can produce alcohol. A pilot study found that treating pediatric NAFLD patients with the probiotic Lactobacillus GG for 8 weeks improved liver enzymes regardless of weight changes. Further research is still needed to fully understand the mechanisms and potential microbiome-based therapies.
2 (2011) the role of gut micriobiota and the mucosal barrier in the pathogene...Daniel Chan
This document summarizes research on the role of gut microbiota and the mucosal barrier in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancer. It discusses how germ-free and gnotobiotic animal models that are free of microbes or colonized with specific microbes have provided insights. Studies using these models have shown that gut microbiota components can directly influence chronic intestinal inflammation and colon cancer development. Additionally, microbiota colonization protects against autoimmune diabetes in mice. The document also reviews the composition and function of the gut microbiota and mucosal barrier, which involves mucus, epithelial cells, antimicrobial peptides, and immune cells that help maintain homeostasis and prevent pathogen invasion.
This document discusses research on intestinal microflora being conducted in Korea. It describes several research groups and projects investigating the roles of intestinal microflora in drug metabolism, food digestion, and human health. The goals are to better understand how microflora influence toxicity and to characterize differences in Korean microflora related to factors like diet. There is also a focus on developing diagnostic tools and establishing a Korean intestinal microflora database. The research aims to improve safety evaluation of drug metabolites and enable personalized medicine based on individual microfloral profiles.
The Gut-Brain Connection: An Inside Look at DepressionAugustin Bralley
The document discusses the gut microbiome and its importance in human health and disease. It notes that the gut contains trillions of bacteria that play a key role in nutrient absorption, immune function, and metabolism. Specific tests are mentioned that can provide insight into the gut microbiome, such as stool analysis, intestinal permeability testing, and organic acid testing in urine. The gut microbiome is suggested to influence conditions like obesity, inflammation, and mental health issues like depression. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is presented as important for overall wellness.
VHIR Seminar led by Joel Doré. Research Director. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA). Jouy-en-Josas, France.
Abstract: The human intestinal tract harbours a complex microbial ecosystem which plays a key role in nutrition and health. Interactions between food constituents, microbes and the host organism derive from a long co-evolution that resulted in a mutualistic association.
Current investigations into the human faecal metagenome are delivering an extensive gene repertoire representative of functional potentials of the human intestinal microbiota. The most redundant genomic traits of the human intestinal microbiota are identified and thereby its functional balance. These observation point towards the existence of enterotypes, i.e. microbiota sharing specific traits but yet independent of geographic origin, age, sex etc.. It also shows a unique segregation of the human population into individuals with low versus high gene-counts. In the end, it not only gives an unprecedented view of the intestinal microbiota, but it also significantly expands our ability to look for specificities of the microbiota associated with human diseases and to ultimately validate microbial signatures of prognostic and diagnostic value in immune mediated diseases.
Metagenomics of the human intestinal tract was applied to specifically compare obese versus lean individuals as well as to explore the dynamic changes associated with a severe calory-restricted diet. Microbiota structure differs with body-mass index and a limited set of marker species may be used as diagnostic model with a >85% predictive value. Among obese subjects; the overall phenotypic characteristics are worse in individuals with low gene counts microbiota, including a worse evolution of morphometric parameters over a period of 10 years, a low grade inflammatory context also associated with insulin-resistance, and the worst response to dietary constraints in terms of weight loss or improvement of biological and inflammatory characteristics. Low gene count microbiota is also associated with less favourable conditions in inflammatory bowel disease, such as higher relapse rate in ulcerative colitis patients.
Finally, microbiota transplantation has seen a regain of interest with applications expanding from Clostridium difficile infections to immune mediated and metabolic diseases.
The human intestinal microbiota should hence be regarded as a true organ, amenable to rationally designed modulation for human health.
Ellen Kamhi, PhD RN, The Natural Nurse, Leaky Gut is also called Compromised Intestinal Permeability, due to loss of integrity of the tight junctions between cells in the intestinal mucosa, and is well documented in the scientific literature. See my document Role of Intestinal Permeability in the Inflammatory Process. This condition should be addressed by all health care providers.
1) The gut microbiota plays a key role in host development, physiology, and health by modulating the immune system and influencing organ development and metabolism.
2) The gut microbiota is dominated by anaerobic bacteria and contains over 500-1000 bacterial species from a few bacterial phyla. It outnumbers human cells 10:1 and contains many metabolic functions.
3) The gut microbiota influences the properties of the intestinal mucus layer, induces the development of lymphoid structures, and tailors immune development through effects on both the innate and adaptive immune systems.
Your microbiome may be key factor determining your health and longevitykirti betai
1. Your gut microbiome plays a key role in your health and longevity. A healthy microbiome can help prevent diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes, while an unhealthy one allows disease to take hold.
2. Certain bacteria in the gut, like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, appear to have anti-inflammatory properties that can protect against conditions like Crohn's disease. Maintaining a diverse population of beneficial microbes is important for immune function.
3. Widespread antibiotic overuse has fueled deadly infections like Clostridium difficile, which causes life-threatening diarrhea. C. difficile infections are especially prevalent in hospitals and nursing homes.
The University of Chicago has significant expertise and resources in microbiome research across multiple departments. Key areas of focus include the human microbiome and its relationship to health conditions like diabetes, IBD, and autism. They have unique clinical and research facilities for studying the microbiome, as well as computational and data analytics capabilities. Notable initiatives led by UChicago researchers include the Earth, Home, and Hospital Microbiome Projects which analyze microbiome samples from various environmental and clinical settings. The university welcomes partnerships with industry to advance microbiome research and translate findings to applications that improve human health and the environment.
The influence of intestinal microflora in development of diabetes type IIIvan Mindov
Recent studies show that the intestinal microflora has a significant influence on the development of type 2 diabetes. Variations in the intestinal microflora could positively or negatively impact development and protection against type 2 diabetes. The gut microbiota, an 'exteriorized organ', contributes to overall metabolism and the conversion of food into nutrients and energy, and imbalances in the gut microbiota are increasingly considered an important pathogenic factor in diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity. Changes to the gut microbiota could be responsible for increased endotoxemia in response to a high-fat diet, triggering the development of obesity and diabetes.
Microbiota, leaky gut syndrome and gut-related diseasesMaurizio Salamone
1. The gut microbiota plays an important role in metabolic, barrier, and immune functions that influence human health. An imbalance in gut bacteria (dysbiosis) is involved in many gastrointestinal disorders.
2. Maintaining balance between gut bacteria species and the host is crucial, as dysbiosis can lead to increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut") and low-grade inflammation, contributing to conditions like IBS, IBD, obesity, and diabetes.
3. Modulating the gut microbiota through probiotics, prebiotics, dietary changes, and supplements can help restore balance and proper communication between bacteria and host, potentially improving gastrointestinal symptoms and health.
Food allergy has been long recognized and well documented. Other adverse reactions to foods first referred to as “toxic idiopathies” by John Freeman, co inventor of immunotherapy, at the early part of the 1900s can be mediated by and have their impact on the nervous and endocrine systems. It can also be mediated by pharmacologic mechanisms and can also affect any part of the body. There’s a great clinical need to accurately identify triggers of adverse reactivity as they have now been linked with even the most serious of modern maladies and diseases. In fact, inflammation is the hallmark of metabolic syndrome. Given the multitude of pathogenic mechanisms underlying adverse reactions to foods and other environmental exposures it is necessary that a utilizable and cost effective technology be understood so that its application be utilized under the appropriate circumstances.
KEY LEARNING POINTS
• The natural ability of certain foods to initiate an inflammatory response and induce metabolic disruptions and counterbalancing mechanisms to prevent that
• How foods can trigger “danger signals” for the immune system
Pharmacologic vs. immunologic reactions to foods
• Is there a common final pathway of all these mechanisms that can reliably indicate triggers of clinical pathology?
• Cellular testing vs. serologic testing: The advantages of cellular testing
This document discusses the gut microbiome and its links to cognitive disorders. It aims to provide an overview of the gut microbiome, the gut-brain axis, and how gut microbes can affect central nervous system function and development. It discusses research showing links between gut microbiota and disorders like autism, depression, and schizophrenia. Current and potential future treatments are explored that aim to target the gut microbiome for mental health disorders.
High-Throughput Sequencing of the Human Microbiome, Rob Knight Research Group...Copenhagenomics
The document discusses high-throughput sequencing techniques for analyzing human microbiome samples. It provides examples of studies that used these techniques to analyze microbiome samples from various body sites and populations. These studies characterized differences in microbial communities between body sites, tracked changes over time, identified correlations with disease markers, and compared communities across geographic locations and diets. Advanced analysis tools like QIIME and UniFrac were highlighted for interpreting vast amounts of sequencing data from hundreds of microbiome samples.
Ueda2016 the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity & tdm2...ueda2015
The document discusses the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (TDM2). It provides an introduction to gut microbiota, symbiotic relationships, evidence connecting gut microbiota to obesity and TDM2, and potential mechanisms of causality. Key points include that gut microbiota composition differs between obese and lean individuals, transplantation studies show gut microbiota can influence weight gain, and mechanisms may involve energy harvest from food, production of short chain fatty acids, effects on hormones like GLP-1, and low-grade inflammation from bacterial translocation.
The gut microbiota refers to the complex community of bacteria in the intestine. Its composition is initially determined at birth by factors like delivery method and feeding, and later by medications, sanitation, diet, and environment. Animal models have shown that genetic, dietary, and environmental influences can alter the gut microbiota. Studies have linked the human gut microbiome to type 2 diabetes, finding that diet influences its composition and that certain bacterial signatures in the gut promote intestinal inflammation and systemic inflammation linked to type 2 diabetes. Gastric bypass surgery, which highly effectively treats obesity and type 2 diabetes, likely works through changes to diet and the gut microbiota.
The document discusses the importance of gut microbiota and microbial diversity in gut health and disease. It notes that the gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that play a vital role in digestion, immunity, and overall health. A balanced gut microbiota supports digestive health, but disruptions to this balance through factors like antibiotics, poor diet, pollution, and stress can lead to gut dysbiosis and conditions like leaky gut syndrome. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiota through a fiber-rich diet, limiting sugars and processed foods, taking probiotics, and avoiding overuse of antibiotics is key for overall wellness.
Probiotics may play a role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In ulcerative colitis, probiotics like VSL#3 have been shown to induce remission in mild-to-moderate disease, maintain remission, and treat pouchitis. Certain probiotic strains are more effective than others. In Crohn's disease, VSL#3 and S. boulardii have demonstrated benefits like maintaining remission and improving intestinal permeability when used as an adjunct to standard therapies. Well-designed studies provide evidence for the therapeutic potential of specific probiotic strains in both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Dr. Heather Allen - The Swine Gut Microbiota: Status and OutlookJohn Blue
The Swine Gut Microbiota: Status and Outlook - Dr. Heather Allen, National Animal Disease Center, USDA, from the 2016 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, September 17-20, 2016, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2016-leman-swine-conference-material
Evolution in the news (BIOL415) Spring 2014Kevin B Hugins
Mini presentation on current news stories for BIOL 415
This news article was about a journal article published in Nature Communications on April 15, 2014. The article is the result of research that was led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The purpose of the research was to study the co-evolution of humans and gut microbiota and examine adaptation that resulted in groups that had different diets. The primary group of interest was a hunter-gatherer group located in Tanzania known as Hadza. This is one of the few remaining true foraging populations in the world. The Hadza diet consists of baobab, game meat, honey, berries and tubers. Hadza do not consume any agricultural crops or livestock.
The document discusses insights from nutrigenomics research on how diet shapes our health. It makes three key points:
1) Our "paleolithic" hunter-gatherer genes interact with modern diets high in processed foods and lack of challenges from varied whole foods. This mismatch may contribute to disease.
2) Components in plant foods like fibers can have anti-inflammatory effects and influence the gut microbiome in ways that promote health. Dietary challenges from varied whole foods that activate genes like PPARg are more beneficial than safe but nutritionally "empty" processed foods.
3) The gut microbiome plays an important role in mediating the effects of diet on health and disease. For example
The document summarizes research into the relationship between gut bacteria, bile acids, and cancer risk. Researchers believe that an imbalance in gut bacteria from conditions like diabetes or a Western diet can increase toxic bile acids, raising cancer risk. The researchers aim to determine bacteria's role in gastrointestinal and liver cancers and whether restoring bacterial balance through probiotics can prevent cancer. They will test if a gut bacterium and milk sugars can lower cancer risk by enriching good bacteria, reducing inflammation and toxic bile acids.
Stress can disrupt the body's homeostasis and lead to psycho-spiritual awakening as the body seeks balance. The human gut microbiome, which outnumbers human cells 10 to 1, plays a key role in this process. Chronic stress and an unhealthy lifestyle can cause chronic inflammation and disease by disrupting the diversity of the gut microbiota. Adopting a diet low in refined carbs and sugar, fasting, probiotic supplementation, spiritual practice, and exercise can help reduce stress, inflammation, and bring the microbiome back into balance.
Mapping the Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease Using Sequencing, Supe...Larry Smarr
Invited Talk Delivered by Mehrdad Yazdani, Calit2 Ayasdi Sponsored Lunch & Learn American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) San Diego Convention Center October 19, 2014
The Human Microbiome in Sports Performance and Healthctorgan
Because our knowledge of the human microbiome is moving so rapidly, we turned our presentation at this conference into a discussion session so experts in the audience could share their professional knowledge and personal experience. By the end of the session, it was clear that we had barely scratched the surface of the importance of our microscopic kin to our health, to sports performance, and to how we need to think about designing research studies. A list of recommended resources is available at: www.caroltorgan.com/microbiome-sports/. We welcome your input!
The document discusses the human microbiome and its role in health and disease. It covers the evolution of the microbiome, factors influencing its composition, and its functions in metabolism, immunity and organ systems. Dysbiosis of the microbiome is linked to various diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease, liver diseases, cancer and more. Therapeutic manipulation through probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation can help restore balance.
This document discusses the relationships between human nutrition, the gut microbiome, and the immune system. It argues that understanding how diet influences the gut microbiome and immune system could help address global health problems like malnutrition. The marriage of metagenomic methods to study the gut microbiome and gnotobiotic methods using germ-free animals could provide insights into these relationships and help test hypotheses. Dietary patterns are changing worldwide due to various social and economic factors, and understanding how these changes impact the gut microbiome may provide clues about nutritional status and immune function.
The document discusses the role of gut microbiota in nutrition and health. It makes three key points:
1) The gut microbiota contributes nutrients and energy to the host through fermenting nondigestible dietary components, and maintains a balance with the host's metabolism and immune system in a healthy state.
2) Diet has a major influence on microbial community composition in both the short and long term, opening possibilities for manipulating health through diet.
3) There is significant interindividual variation in gut microbiota composition within populations that influences responses to drugs and diet. Achieving a better understanding of microbiota profiles that support health is important.
Your microbiome may be key factor determining your health and longevitykirti betai
1. Your gut microbiome plays a key role in your health and longevity. A healthy microbiome can help prevent diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes, while an unhealthy one allows disease to take hold.
2. Certain bacteria in the gut, like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, appear to have anti-inflammatory properties that can protect against conditions like Crohn's disease. Maintaining a diverse population of beneficial microbes is important for immune function.
3. Widespread antibiotic overuse has fueled deadly infections like Clostridium difficile, which causes life-threatening diarrhea. C. difficile infections are especially prevalent in hospitals and nursing homes.
The University of Chicago has significant expertise and resources in microbiome research across multiple departments. Key areas of focus include the human microbiome and its relationship to health conditions like diabetes, IBD, and autism. They have unique clinical and research facilities for studying the microbiome, as well as computational and data analytics capabilities. Notable initiatives led by UChicago researchers include the Earth, Home, and Hospital Microbiome Projects which analyze microbiome samples from various environmental and clinical settings. The university welcomes partnerships with industry to advance microbiome research and translate findings to applications that improve human health and the environment.
The influence of intestinal microflora in development of diabetes type IIIvan Mindov
Recent studies show that the intestinal microflora has a significant influence on the development of type 2 diabetes. Variations in the intestinal microflora could positively or negatively impact development and protection against type 2 diabetes. The gut microbiota, an 'exteriorized organ', contributes to overall metabolism and the conversion of food into nutrients and energy, and imbalances in the gut microbiota are increasingly considered an important pathogenic factor in diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity. Changes to the gut microbiota could be responsible for increased endotoxemia in response to a high-fat diet, triggering the development of obesity and diabetes.
Microbiota, leaky gut syndrome and gut-related diseasesMaurizio Salamone
1. The gut microbiota plays an important role in metabolic, barrier, and immune functions that influence human health. An imbalance in gut bacteria (dysbiosis) is involved in many gastrointestinal disorders.
2. Maintaining balance between gut bacteria species and the host is crucial, as dysbiosis can lead to increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut") and low-grade inflammation, contributing to conditions like IBS, IBD, obesity, and diabetes.
3. Modulating the gut microbiota through probiotics, prebiotics, dietary changes, and supplements can help restore balance and proper communication between bacteria and host, potentially improving gastrointestinal symptoms and health.
Food allergy has been long recognized and well documented. Other adverse reactions to foods first referred to as “toxic idiopathies” by John Freeman, co inventor of immunotherapy, at the early part of the 1900s can be mediated by and have their impact on the nervous and endocrine systems. It can also be mediated by pharmacologic mechanisms and can also affect any part of the body. There’s a great clinical need to accurately identify triggers of adverse reactivity as they have now been linked with even the most serious of modern maladies and diseases. In fact, inflammation is the hallmark of metabolic syndrome. Given the multitude of pathogenic mechanisms underlying adverse reactions to foods and other environmental exposures it is necessary that a utilizable and cost effective technology be understood so that its application be utilized under the appropriate circumstances.
KEY LEARNING POINTS
• The natural ability of certain foods to initiate an inflammatory response and induce metabolic disruptions and counterbalancing mechanisms to prevent that
• How foods can trigger “danger signals” for the immune system
Pharmacologic vs. immunologic reactions to foods
• Is there a common final pathway of all these mechanisms that can reliably indicate triggers of clinical pathology?
• Cellular testing vs. serologic testing: The advantages of cellular testing
This document discusses the gut microbiome and its links to cognitive disorders. It aims to provide an overview of the gut microbiome, the gut-brain axis, and how gut microbes can affect central nervous system function and development. It discusses research showing links between gut microbiota and disorders like autism, depression, and schizophrenia. Current and potential future treatments are explored that aim to target the gut microbiome for mental health disorders.
High-Throughput Sequencing of the Human Microbiome, Rob Knight Research Group...Copenhagenomics
The document discusses high-throughput sequencing techniques for analyzing human microbiome samples. It provides examples of studies that used these techniques to analyze microbiome samples from various body sites and populations. These studies characterized differences in microbial communities between body sites, tracked changes over time, identified correlations with disease markers, and compared communities across geographic locations and diets. Advanced analysis tools like QIIME and UniFrac were highlighted for interpreting vast amounts of sequencing data from hundreds of microbiome samples.
Ueda2016 the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity & tdm2...ueda2015
The document discusses the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (TDM2). It provides an introduction to gut microbiota, symbiotic relationships, evidence connecting gut microbiota to obesity and TDM2, and potential mechanisms of causality. Key points include that gut microbiota composition differs between obese and lean individuals, transplantation studies show gut microbiota can influence weight gain, and mechanisms may involve energy harvest from food, production of short chain fatty acids, effects on hormones like GLP-1, and low-grade inflammation from bacterial translocation.
The gut microbiota refers to the complex community of bacteria in the intestine. Its composition is initially determined at birth by factors like delivery method and feeding, and later by medications, sanitation, diet, and environment. Animal models have shown that genetic, dietary, and environmental influences can alter the gut microbiota. Studies have linked the human gut microbiome to type 2 diabetes, finding that diet influences its composition and that certain bacterial signatures in the gut promote intestinal inflammation and systemic inflammation linked to type 2 diabetes. Gastric bypass surgery, which highly effectively treats obesity and type 2 diabetes, likely works through changes to diet and the gut microbiota.
The document discusses the importance of gut microbiota and microbial diversity in gut health and disease. It notes that the gut is home to trillions of microorganisms that play a vital role in digestion, immunity, and overall health. A balanced gut microbiota supports digestive health, but disruptions to this balance through factors like antibiotics, poor diet, pollution, and stress can lead to gut dysbiosis and conditions like leaky gut syndrome. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiota through a fiber-rich diet, limiting sugars and processed foods, taking probiotics, and avoiding overuse of antibiotics is key for overall wellness.
Probiotics may play a role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In ulcerative colitis, probiotics like VSL#3 have been shown to induce remission in mild-to-moderate disease, maintain remission, and treat pouchitis. Certain probiotic strains are more effective than others. In Crohn's disease, VSL#3 and S. boulardii have demonstrated benefits like maintaining remission and improving intestinal permeability when used as an adjunct to standard therapies. Well-designed studies provide evidence for the therapeutic potential of specific probiotic strains in both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Dr. Heather Allen - The Swine Gut Microbiota: Status and OutlookJohn Blue
The Swine Gut Microbiota: Status and Outlook - Dr. Heather Allen, National Animal Disease Center, USDA, from the 2016 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, September 17-20, 2016, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2016-leman-swine-conference-material
Evolution in the news (BIOL415) Spring 2014Kevin B Hugins
Mini presentation on current news stories for BIOL 415
This news article was about a journal article published in Nature Communications on April 15, 2014. The article is the result of research that was led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The purpose of the research was to study the co-evolution of humans and gut microbiota and examine adaptation that resulted in groups that had different diets. The primary group of interest was a hunter-gatherer group located in Tanzania known as Hadza. This is one of the few remaining true foraging populations in the world. The Hadza diet consists of baobab, game meat, honey, berries and tubers. Hadza do not consume any agricultural crops or livestock.
The document discusses insights from nutrigenomics research on how diet shapes our health. It makes three key points:
1) Our "paleolithic" hunter-gatherer genes interact with modern diets high in processed foods and lack of challenges from varied whole foods. This mismatch may contribute to disease.
2) Components in plant foods like fibers can have anti-inflammatory effects and influence the gut microbiome in ways that promote health. Dietary challenges from varied whole foods that activate genes like PPARg are more beneficial than safe but nutritionally "empty" processed foods.
3) The gut microbiome plays an important role in mediating the effects of diet on health and disease. For example
The document summarizes research into the relationship between gut bacteria, bile acids, and cancer risk. Researchers believe that an imbalance in gut bacteria from conditions like diabetes or a Western diet can increase toxic bile acids, raising cancer risk. The researchers aim to determine bacteria's role in gastrointestinal and liver cancers and whether restoring bacterial balance through probiotics can prevent cancer. They will test if a gut bacterium and milk sugars can lower cancer risk by enriching good bacteria, reducing inflammation and toxic bile acids.
Stress can disrupt the body's homeostasis and lead to psycho-spiritual awakening as the body seeks balance. The human gut microbiome, which outnumbers human cells 10 to 1, plays a key role in this process. Chronic stress and an unhealthy lifestyle can cause chronic inflammation and disease by disrupting the diversity of the gut microbiota. Adopting a diet low in refined carbs and sugar, fasting, probiotic supplementation, spiritual practice, and exercise can help reduce stress, inflammation, and bring the microbiome back into balance.
Mapping the Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease Using Sequencing, Supe...Larry Smarr
Invited Talk Delivered by Mehrdad Yazdani, Calit2 Ayasdi Sponsored Lunch & Learn American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) San Diego Convention Center October 19, 2014
The Human Microbiome in Sports Performance and Healthctorgan
Because our knowledge of the human microbiome is moving so rapidly, we turned our presentation at this conference into a discussion session so experts in the audience could share their professional knowledge and personal experience. By the end of the session, it was clear that we had barely scratched the surface of the importance of our microscopic kin to our health, to sports performance, and to how we need to think about designing research studies. A list of recommended resources is available at: www.caroltorgan.com/microbiome-sports/. We welcome your input!
The document discusses the human microbiome and its role in health and disease. It covers the evolution of the microbiome, factors influencing its composition, and its functions in metabolism, immunity and organ systems. Dysbiosis of the microbiome is linked to various diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease, liver diseases, cancer and more. Therapeutic manipulation through probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation can help restore balance.
This document discusses the relationships between human nutrition, the gut microbiome, and the immune system. It argues that understanding how diet influences the gut microbiome and immune system could help address global health problems like malnutrition. The marriage of metagenomic methods to study the gut microbiome and gnotobiotic methods using germ-free animals could provide insights into these relationships and help test hypotheses. Dietary patterns are changing worldwide due to various social and economic factors, and understanding how these changes impact the gut microbiome may provide clues about nutritional status and immune function.
The document discusses the role of gut microbiota in nutrition and health. It makes three key points:
1) The gut microbiota contributes nutrients and energy to the host through fermenting nondigestible dietary components, and maintains a balance with the host's metabolism and immune system in a healthy state.
2) Diet has a major influence on microbial community composition in both the short and long term, opening possibilities for manipulating health through diet.
3) There is significant interindividual variation in gut microbiota composition within populations that influences responses to drugs and diet. Achieving a better understanding of microbiota profiles that support health is important.
This study investigated the effects of the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve CNCM I-4035 and its cell-free culture supernatant (CFS) on human dendritic cells (DCs) and how the DCs respond to the pathogenic bacteria Salmonella typhi. The CFS decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines in DCs challenged with S. typhi, while live B. breve induced both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Both live B. breve and CFS activated Toll-like receptor signaling pathways in DCs. CFS increased expression of TLR9 and related genes more than live B. breve in the presence of S. typhi. The results suggest B. breve affects the
A study found that consuming milk fat promotes growth of normally rare sulphate-reducing bacteria in mice, which stimulates harmful immune responses and causes more severe colitis in mice genetically prone to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Milk fat increases taurine-conjugated bile acids that feed these bacteria, namely Bilophilia wadsworthia, leading them to produce metabolites like hydrogen sulfide that damage the gut. These findings help explain how certain diets may influence IBD by altering the gut microbiome in genetically susceptible individuals.
This document summarizes the current understanding of fungal hyphal branching. It discusses the two main types of branching (apical and lateral) and some of the internal and external factors that induce branching. Potential mechanisms underlying branch site selection are outlined, including multiple signaling pathways and subcellular structures. Finally, branching in other kingdoms is briefly compared to fungal hyphal branching. However, the molecular basis of hyphal branching remains poorly understood.
The Human Microbiome Project Consortium established a population-scale framework to study the human microbiome through standardized protocols. They obtained samples from 15-18 body sites from 242 healthy adults over multiple time points. They generated over 5,000 microbial profiles from 16S rRNA genes and over 3.5 terabases of metagenomic sequence data. They also sequenced approximately 800 reference strains isolated from the human body. Collectively, these data and resources represent the largest collection of human microbiome data and provide a framework for current and future microbiome studies.
The document describes the discovery of a new basal clade within the fungal kingdom called cryptomycota.
- Cryptomycota includes organisms like Rozella that branch with fungi genetically but appear to grow and develop without synthesizing a chitin-rich cell wall, which is a defining characteristic of fungi.
- Phylogenetic trees constructed from genetic data place cryptomycota as a sister group to Rozella and identify it as a very large, uncultured group of microbes that fundamentally challenges current understanding of fungal evolution and diversity.
1) The gut microbiota is now a major focus of research across many disciplines due to its contributions to health and disease.
2) Changes in the composition of the gut microbiota are linked to changes in human behavior and the rising prevalence of immune and metabolic disorders.
3) Discoveries about the gut microbiota promise to realize personalized medicine and nutrition and change conventional dietary management approaches.
Synthetic Biology for Plant ScientistsSachin Rawat
Tools of synthetic biology can be utilised to engineer metabolic pathways to optimize production of secondary metabolites and ligno-cellulose. The presentation describes an approach to develop an artificial positive feedback loop to increase accumulation of cell wall polysaccharides. These will decrease the cost of production of plant-based biofuels, paper and other plant products.
Este documento presenta un cuestionario de 31 preguntas sobre conceptos básicos de microbiología. Las preguntas abarcan temas como los descubridores clave en el campo de la microbiología, la morfología y estructura de las bacterias, sus mecanismos de movilidad y reproducción, así como las funciones de sus principales estructuras celulares como la membrana, pared celular, flagelos y ribosomas. El cuestionario parece ser parte de un examen o evaluación para estudiantes de microbiología.
Los virus son elementos genéticos que se replican dentro de las células huésped aprovechando su maquinaria metabólica. Para multiplicarse, los virus deben ingresar a una célula e integrar su material genético, adquiriendo así las propiedades de la célula huésped como la heredabilidad. Sin embargo, durante la replicación viral se destruye la célula huésped, otorgándole al virus su carácter patógeno. Existen diferentes clasificaciones de virus según su genoma, huésped y forma de replicación
The document discusses fungal infections and the immune response to fungi. It notes that fungi can have symbiotic, commensal, latent, or pathogenic relationships with humans. The immune system aims to limit fungal burden through resistance, and limit host damage through tolerance. Both resistance and tolerance strategies are evolutionarily conserved in plants and vertebrates. Understanding the interplay between these strategies may help define how fungi have adapted to the mammalian immune system.
This document provides an outlook for Indonesia's palm oil industry from 2011 to 2020. It discusses rising global demand for edible oils which Indonesia is well-positioned to meet through increased palm oil production. Indonesia has become the world's largest palm oil producer, with production rising 192% over the past decade. The report also examines palm oil prices, expansion opportunities and controversies around deforestation and their proposed solutions through sustainable practices.
El documento describe los protozoarios. Estos son microorganismos eucariotas unicelulares que viven de forma libre o como parásitos. Pueden encontrarse en una amplia variedad de hábitats húmedos como agua dulce, marina o suelo. Algunos protozoarios son patógenos y causan enfermedades en humanos y animales.
This document provides an overview of bioethics. It begins with definitions of bioethics and discusses its origins in the 1920s. It outlines four key principles of bioethics: nonmaleficence, justice, beneficence, and autonomy. The document also examines major bioethical issues such as abortion, euthanasia, eugenics, human cloning, and stem cell research. It concludes by stating that the field of bioethics aims to avoid unnecessary harm while furthering human interests and guiding policymakers and researchers ethically.
General Biology One.
This course serves as an introduction to the branch of Science, Biology. It is a course offered in the department of Biological sciences in all Nigerian Universities in accordance with the Benchmark Academic Standard (BMAS) designed by the National Universities Commission (NUC. This slides covers topics such as Characteristics and classification of living things, generalized survey of plants and animals, cell history and basic cell types, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, cell structure and organization, cell growth and cell division. Other topics will be covered in the part 2 of this course.
This document outlines a course description and syllabus for General Biology I. The course is a 3 credit unit course that introduces students to basic biology, including the characteristics and classification of living things, a survey of plants and animals, cell structure and function, genetics and heredity, and ecology and evolution. The syllabus provides details on attendance policy, grading system, and topics to be covered over the course of the term.
Biophysics is essential to progress in biology as it discovers how atoms are arranged in proteins and DNA to carry out biological functions. Biophysicists are determining the structures of proteins through experiments to understand how they perform various roles in the body like movement, senses, energy production, immunity and more. Understanding variations in proteins also helps with drug design and precision medicine. Biophysics has also revealed structures like DNA and how it serves as the genetic blueprint of life.
(Complete) Screening Phenotypic Mutations in Citobacter RodentiumKonyin Oluwole
This document is a research proposal submitted by Olukonyinsola Oluwole to the Office of Undergraduate Research at UMass Dartmouth. The proposal summarizes a research project that aims to screen phenotypic mutations in Citobacter Rodentium bacteria through experimental simulations. The goal is to test the hypothesis that pathogenic bacteria adapt in natural environments by losing traits needed for host colonization and toxicity. The anticipated outcome is that the mutated Citobacter Rodentium will lose its pathogenic qualities, allowing for the development of probiotics to treat degenerative intestinal diseases like IBS.
The concept of the human microbiome was first suggested by Joshua Lederberg, who coined the term ‘‘microbiome, to signify the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that literally share our body space’’
The Emerging Personalized Medicine Paradigm of Time-Series Tracking of Mind, ...Larry Smarr
Invited Zoom Remote Lecture
For Sara Gottfried, MD Personalized Medicine for Mental Health Course
Integrative Psychiatry Institute
Recorded June 28, 2022
Fundamental biological features of spaceflight- Gut microbiome.pdfJaveriana Cali
This document discusses how spaceflight can negatively impact astronauts' gut microbiomes and immune systems. It notes that space travel is associated with gut microbiome changes and dysbiosis, increased pathogens, and immune system weakening. Maintaining a diverse and healthy gut microbiome through probiotic supplementation may help address some of these health issues associated with spaceflight and ensure astronaut well-being on long-duration missions.
Metabolomics: The Next Generation of Biochemistry Metabolon, Inc.
This brief eBook explores the benefits of incorporating the science of metabolomics into contemporary biology research as a stand-alone tool or as a compliment to genomics or other types of molecular biology research.
Kevin Hugins research paper.
Meriam-Webster defines endocrinology as “a branch of medicine concerned with the structure, function, and disorders of the endocrine glands.” When considering the human endocrine system, most people think of endocrine glands such as the hypothalamus, pituitary, gonads, adrenals, and pancreas. No one would deny that hormones released from endocrine glands have a powerful effect on cell function throughout the human body. A relatively new field of study called Microbial Endocrinology suggests that the interactions and effects of the human endocrine system involve more organisms than just the human.
Bioengineers discovered that a single cancer cell can produce up to five daughter cells through cell division. This faster cell division of cancer cells can lead to chromosomal differences known as aneuploidy and disrupt biological processes. Additionally, scientists placed a 500-million-year-old gene into a modern bacterium, demonstrating how ancient genes can continue evolving even when inserted into new organisms. This research helps further understanding of cancer progression and the importance of genetic mutations for adaptation and evolution.
This document discusses Gram-positive bacteria. It begins by noting that bacteria can be either pathogenic or beneficial to humans. It then provides the example of Lactobacillus johnsonii, a Gram-positive bacteria found in the gut that helps infants digest milk. The document goes on to explain that bacteria are classified based on their shape, internal composition, and respiration mode. Gram-positive bacteria are distinguished by having a thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell walls. Further tests are described to identify an unknown bacteria as Gram-positive.
The document discusses how views of microbes have shifted over the past decade from seeing them as "evil" to recognizing that they play a key role in human health as part of the human microbiome. Research has found that microbes make up most of the cells in the human body and contribute significantly to metabolic processes. Studies sequencing microbial genomes and analyzing microbial communities in places like the gut have revealed far more microbial diversity than previously known and shown how microbes interact closely with human hosts. The microbiome is now understood to influence important functions like immune development and energy extraction from food.
1) The document summarizes a Junior Urban Action trip where students learned about stem cell research from professors at Harvard and MIT and heard perspectives from a pro-life advocate.
2) The students met with professors working on using stem cells to cure diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's.
3) The pro-life advocate argued that embryonic stem cell research is unethical and that adult stem cells are more effective, while some students disagreed with rejecting research that could have medical benefits.
1
CHAPTER 1 Microbiology: Then and Now
CHAPTER 2 The Chemical Building Blocks of Life
CHAPTER 3 Concepts and Tools for Studying Microorganisms
CHAPTER 4 Cell Structure and Function in the Bacteria and Archaea
CHAPTER 5 Microbial Growth and Nutrition
CHAPTER 6 Metabolism of Microorganisms
CHAPTER 7 Control of Microorganisms: Physical and Chemical Methods
1 Foundations of Microbiology
P A R T
n 1676, a century before the Declaration of Independence, a Dutch
merchant named Antony van Leeuwenhoek sent a noteworthy let-
ter to the Royal Society of London. Writing in the vernacular of his
home in the United Netherlands, Leeuwenhoek described how he used a simple
microscope to observe vast populations of minute, living creatures. His reports
opened a chapter of science that would evolve into the study of microscopic
organisms and the discipline of microbiology. At that time, few people, including
Leeuwenhoek, attached any practical significance to the microorganisms, but
during the next three centuries, scientists would discover how profoundly these
organisms influence the quality of our lives and the environment around us.
We begin our study of the microorganisms by exploring the grassroot devel-
opments that led to the establishment of microbiology as a science. These devel-
opments are surveyed in Chapter 1, where we focus on some of the individuals
who stood at the forefront of discovery. Today we are in the midst of a third Golden Age of microbiology and our
understanding of microorganisms continues to grow even as you read this book. Chapter 1, therefore, is an important
introduction to microbiology then and now.
Part 1 also contains a chapter on basic chemistry, inasmuch as microbial growth, metabolism, and diversity
are grounded in the molecules and macromolecules these organisms contain and in the biological processes they
undergo. The third chapter in Part 1 sets down some basic concepts and describes one of the major tools for study-
ing microorganisms. Much as the alphabet applies to word development, in succeeding chapters we will formulate
words into sentences and sentences into ideas as we survey the different groups of microorganisms and concentrate
on their importance to public health and human welfare.
Although most microorganisms are harmless—or even beneficial, some cause infectious disease. We will concentrate
on the bacterial organisms in Chapter 4, where we survey their structural frameworks. In Chapter 5, we build on these
frameworks by examining microbial growth patterns and nutritional requirements. Chapter 6 describes the metabolism
of microbial cells, including those chemical reactions that produce energy and use energy. Part 1 concludes by consider-
ing the physical and chemical methods used to control microbial growth and metabolism (Chapter 7).
I
Cells of Vibrio cholerae, transmitted to
humans in contaminated water and food, are
the cause of cholera.
62582_CH01_001_034.pdf 162582.
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From Me To We: Discovering the Trillions of Microorganisms That are a Part of UsLarry Smarr
The document summarizes a lecture about the human microbiome and its importance in health and disease. It discusses how sequencing DNA has revealed that the human body hosts trillions of microorganisms and that 99% of our genes are microbial. Understanding the microbiome is crucial for medicine as shifts in the microbial ecology can be linked to various diseases. The lecturer discusses his own efforts to track biomarkers and microbiome data over time, revealing how perturbations correlated with disease symptoms and weight changes. Precision approaches analyzing large cohorts will be needed to unravel microbiome dynamics in health and illness.
La Unión Europea ha acordado un paquete de sanciones contra Rusia por su invasión de Ucrania. Las sanciones incluyen restricciones a las importaciones de productos rusos clave como el acero y la madera, así como medidas contra bancos y funcionarios rusos. Los líderes de la UE esperan que las sanciones aumenten la presión económica sobre Rusia y la disuadan de continuar su agresión contra Ucrania.
El documento presenta el cronograma de actividades para un programa de verano científico que incluye tres etapas: aislamiento y purificación de péptidos naturales, bioensayos in vitro de los péptidos, y taxonomía molecular y genética. La primera etapa involucra técnicas de aislamiento como extracción con nitrógeno líquido y centrifugación, así como purificación mediante cromatografía líquida de baja presión y espectrometría de masas. La segunda etapa implica bioensayos de los pépt
1) The gut microbiota plays a key role in host development, physiology, and health by modulating the immune system and influencing organ development and metabolism.
2) The gut microbiota is dominated by anaerobic bacteria and contains over 500-1000 bacterial species from a few bacterial phyla. It outnumbers human cells 10:1 and contains many metabolic functions.
3) The gut microbiota influences the properties of the intestinal mucus layer, induces the development of lymphoid structures, and tailors immune development through effects on both the innate and adaptive immune systems.
This document summarizes recent findings that challenge the traditional definitions of innate and adaptive immunity. It provides three examples of studies that found evidence of immune specificity and memory in invertebrates like water fleas and copepods. It also notes that while mammals use immunoglobulins for antigen recognition, other phyla use different receptor systems, and that innate immune systems may be more complex than originally believed. The growing evidence from diverse species suggests a blurring of the lines between innate and adaptive immunity.
This document summarizes a scientific paper that analyzed the genome of the sea urchin to gain insights into its immune system. The analysis of the sea urchin genome revealed a diverse set of immune genes similar to those found in jawed vertebrates. This suggests the sea urchin has a complex immune system reliant on specialized immune cells. The findings provide a more in-depth understanding of the evolution of the immune system in invertebrate animals.
This document summarizes a study that investigated the antibacterial activity in different tissues of four marine crustacean species: northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus), spider crab (Hyas araneus), and king crab (Paralithodes camtschatica). Extracts were prepared from tissues including haemolymph, haemocytes, exoskeleton, gills, and internal organs. The extracts were tested for antibacterial activity against four bacterial strains. Antibacterial activity was detected in extracts from several tissues in all species, mainly in haemolymph and haemocyte extracts. Differences in activity between extracts and sensitivity to heat and enzymes suggested multiple antibacterial compounds are
This study examines the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of a 5-kDa peptide fraction isolated from the coelomocytes (immune cells) of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The peptide fraction, called 5-CC, showed inhibitory activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungi, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 253.7 to 15.8 mg ml-1. 5-CC also inhibited the formation of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms. At sub-MIC concentrations, 5-CC inhibited the formation of young (6-hour) and mature (24-hour) biofilms of
El documento trata sobre la investigación científica. Presenta nuevos hallazgos sobre un tema específico de la ciencia. Los resultados contribuyen al conocimiento actual sobre el tema y sugieren más investigaciones futuras.
Este documento presenta los resultados de un estudio sobre el uso de un extracto de piel de rana catesbeiana como tratamiento alternativo para la mastitis clínica en bovinos. El extracto redujo el número de bacterias causantes de mastitis y mejoró el tejido glandular dañado. Además, el extracto redujo el grado de mastitis en vacas tratadas, especialmente mastitis moderada. Finalmente, el documento propone la creación de un laboratorio para aislar y purificar péptidos antimicrobianos de la rana con fines biotecnoló
La propuesta propone crear un laboratorio para aislar y purificar sustancias naturales con aplicaciones biotecnológicas. El laboratorio se enfocaría en secuenciar y sintetizar péptidos antimicrobianos de la rana catesbeiana para desarrollar tratamientos para infecciones. La propuesta describe la infraestructura requerida como consultoras y centros de investigación que brindarían apoyo.
A lo largo de la historia se han propuesto diferentes sistemas de clasificación para los microorganismos. Inicialmente se dividían en dos reinos, plantae y animalia. Luego se propuso el reino Protista. Más tarde, la distinción entre células procariotas y eucariotas llevó a dividir los organismos en los reinos Prokaryotae/Monera y Eukaryotae. En 1969, Whittaker propuso los cinco reinos que incluían Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae y Animalia. Finalmente, en
El documento describe los tres dominios principales de organismos: Archaea, Bacteria y Eukarya. Señala que las archaeas son organismos procariotas que se distinguen de las bacterias por sus lípidos de membrana únicos y su ARN polimerasa compleja. También detalla las tres filas principales de archaeas: Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota y Korarchaeota, y proporciona ejemplos de géneros en cada fila que habitan en ambientes extremos como hábitats volcánicos, salinos y ácidos.
A lo largo de la historia se han propuesto diferentes sistemas de clasificación para los microorganismos. Inicialmente se dividían en dos reinos, plantae y animalia. Luego se propuso el reino Protista. Más adelante, con el descubrimiento de las diferencias entre células procariotas y eucariotas, los microorganismos se clasificaron en estos dos grupos. Finalmente, en 1969 Whittaker propuso la clasificación en cinco reinos que aún se usa y reconoce las relaciones evolutivas, dividiendo los organismos
Inflammation plays a key role in many chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer's. While inflammation originally served to help heal injuries, evidence now suggests it can promote the progression of diseases over time by stimulating cell proliferation, blood vessel growth, and tissue damage. For example, in cancer tumors can induce inflammation in surrounding tissue, and this helps cancer cells grow and spread. Researchers are working to block inflammation through drugs to see if this can help treat and prevent chronic diseases.
Este documento es un registro de asistencia de alumnos para un curso de Microbiología en la Universidad de Guadalajara. Contiene información sobre 34 estudiantes inscritos en el curso como su número de control, nombre, y asistencia. El curso se lleva a cabo los lunes de 1-3:50pm en el aula 0105 del 11 de febrero al 11 de junio de 2011.
El documento resume las contribuciones clave de varios científicos a la historia de la microbiología, incluyendo las primeras observaciones de microbios por van Leeuwenhoek, los experimentos de Redi, Spallanzani y Pasteur que refutaron la generación espontánea, el establecimiento de los postulados de Koch para la identificación de patógenos, y el desarrollo de técnicas como cultivos puros y la vacunación. También describe los trabajos pioneros de Lister, Ivanowsky, Metchnikoff y Ehrlich
Este documento presenta un programa de microbiología dividido en 5 unidades temáticas. Cubre temas como la morfología, estructura, fisiología, taxonomía, cultivo y aplicaciones de bacterias, hongos, protozoarios y virus. El programa asigna un número específico de horas y prácticas de laboratorio a cada subtema para proporcionar a los estudiantes una comprensión integral de los microorganismos y su papel en la naturaleza, la medicina e industrias.
Este documento presenta un plan de estudios para un curso de microbiología. Cubre los objetivos generales y específicos del curso, los temas a tratar incluyendo bacterias, hongos, protozoarios y virus, las prácticas de laboratorio propuestas, y la bibliografía recomendada. El curso busca proporcionar conocimientos básicos sobre las características y la importancia de la interacción de los microorganismos con otros seres vivos.
1. NEWS Jiao Tong University’s Shanghai Center for
Systems Biomedicine, Zhao oversees several
My Microbiome and Me clinical studies that look at the role of the
microbiome in diabetes, obesity, and liver
Zhao Liping combines traditional Chinese medicine and studies of gut microbes function. But his work remains grounded in
to understand and fight obesity his personal story—which friends say reflects
a willingness to explore uncharted territory
SHANGHAI, CHINA— In some ways it’s a old with flat-top hair and a square jaw— through raw trial and error. “As a scientist,”
familiar story. In 1987, Zhao Liping mar- has become an unlikely spokesperson for a he says, “you should work on questions for
ried Ji Liuying, a college classmate. Within burgeoning field. In 2010, he presented his which there is very little evidence but that you
2 years, they had a daughter and Zhao fin- weight-loss story at the Human Microbiome believe are important.”
ished his Ph.D. Under new pressure and eat- Project meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, Uncertainty about cause and effect is
ing richly—Ji is a good cook—the micro- at the invitation of George Weinstock of what plagues the field right now. It is difficult
biologist put on weight. By 1990, when he Washington University in St. Louis. Gordon’s to prove, for example, that F. prausnitzii
Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on September 25, 2012
started an environmental micro- facilitated Zhao’s slimming and didn’t just
biology lab at Shanxi Academy show up once his gut was healthy. “The list of
of Agricultural Sciences in Tai- the diseases that the microbiome may play a
yuan, China, Zhao had grown role in is just growing and growing,” says Lita
from 60 to 80 kilograms. Later, Proctor, director of the U.S. National Institutes
on a postdoctoral fellowship at of Health’s Human Microbiome Project in
Cornell University, he put on Bethesda, Maryland. “But the problem is that
another 10 kilograms. By the we’re only able to look at associations of the
time he returned to China in microbiome with disease and aren’t yet able
1995, his waist measured a cor- to conduct cause-and-effect studies. What
pulent 110 centimeters and his we’re witnessing is a very young field trying
health was poor. to figure out ‘Okay, what’s the right way to
But in 2004, he read a approach [these] data?’ ”
paper that eventually changed For Zhao, the way involves transferring his
the shape of his career—and weight-loss program to hundreds of human
his body. Jeffrey I. Gordon, a subjects and drawing on animal studies to
microbiologist at Washington decide what metabolic parameters to monitor
University School of Medicine in people. While his ultimate
in St. Louis, Missouri, and goal is to establish a molecular
colleagues showed a link pathway connecting the micro-
between obesity and gut biota to obesity, his e-mail
microbiota in mice (Science, signature reads: “EAT RIGHT,
29 May 2009, p. 1136). Zhao KEEP FIT, LIVE LONG, DIE
was curious whether that link QUICK.”
extended to himself and decided The science of shrinking. Microbiologist
to find out. In 2006, he adopted a Zhao Liping, shown here before and after a Faith in traditional medicine
regimen involving Chinese yam change in diet, thinks he lost 20 kilograms by Zhao grew up in a small farming
and bitter melon—fermented regulating his gut microbiota. town in Shanxi Province. Like
prebiotic foods that are believed most Chinese born on the eve of
to change the growth of bacteria in the research had set off a the Cultural Revolution, he and
digestive system—and monitored not just flurry of new studies, but his two younger brothers had a
his weight loss but also the microbes in his Weinstock says scientists simple upbringing. His father
gut. When he combined these prebiotics had reached something was a high school teacher and
with a diet based on whole grains, he lost of an impasse. The “field his mother worked in a textile
20 kilograms in 2 years. His blood pressure, had been standardized to factory. Both of his parents were
heart rate, and cholesterol level came down. some extent by the early firm believers in traditional rem-
CREDITS: COURTESY OF ZHAO LIPING (2)
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii—a bacterium researchers following the edies. Zhao remembers watching
with anti-inflammatory properties— same path,” Weinstock says, and Zhao’s his father try to fight a hepatitis B infection by
flourished, increasing from an undetectable willingness to dive in and experiment on drinking a pungent, murky herbal concoction
percentage to 14.5% of his total gut bacteria. himself “brought a breath of fresh air.” Even twice a day.
The changes persuaded him to focus on the more refreshing was that Zhao presented his A good student, Zhao earned a Ph.D. in
microbiome’s role in his transformation. He findings in a “detached, agnostic, scientific molecular plant pathology from Nanjing
started with mice but has since expanded his way,” Weinstock adds. “He was not religious Agricultural University. When he returned
research to humans. about it at all.” to Shanxi to start his lab, he focused on using
Zhao—now a slim, soft-spoken 49-year- Now associate director of Shanghai beneficial bacteria to rein in plant pathogens.
1248 8 JUNE 2012 VOL 336 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org
Published by AAAS
3. sequence of changes occurs in an animal’s Beijing is an outspoken critic of what he looking forward to seeing results from Zhao’s
gut after consuming a high-fat diet. Bad describes as overblown claims surrounding clinical studies when they’re published.
bacteria increase, the gut barrier becomes Chinese medicine, which he dismisses as “Other studies of diet and the microbiome
more permeable, and toxins increase in the “just herbs.” But he says Zhao’s research with fewer participants have yielded valuable
bloodstream. The spike in toxins, in turn, is encouraging. He cites a study in Beijing and statistically significant results,” he says.
triggers inflammation, which prompts a fall in focused on gut microbiota and diabetes in Large clinical studies involving prebiotics
the host’s metabolism. Zhao now hopes to see which Zhao and colleagues are looking for like those Zhao runs may be easier to carry
the reverse in his human subjects as they adopt signature bacterial species connected to out in China. At a bustling vegetarian
healthier diets. “All these markers should diabetes in humans. “He is headed in the restaurant in downtown Shanghai one night,
show expected changes,” he says. right direction,” Zhu says. Zhao feasts on seaweed, ginkgo, bamboo,
Zhu Baoli of the Chinese Academy of Rob Knight, a microbiologist at the Chinese kale, and Chinese yam. Chinese
Sciences’s Institute of Microbiology in University of Colorado, Boulder, says he is volunteers don’t blink when asked to eat such
plants, he says. “They look at the list we give
them and say, ‘Oh, this is food. No problem.’
Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on September 25, 2012
Pigs as Stand-Ins for Microbiome Studies ” And because many of the substances are not
yet accepted as food or medicines in
SHANGHAI, CHINA—The Chinese use pigs for Europe and North America, he adds,
just about everything, from processing waste to “it would take years to get permission
enriching the dinner table. Now they are testing to do clinical trials.”
piglets as a new model for human microbiome But Zhao has his sights set beyond
research. The past decade has seen an exponen- Asia, predicting this work will be more
tial rise in interest in how the microbes living fruitful than genome studies in leading
in and on the human body affect health (see to antiobesity drugs. Weinstock agrees
p. 1246). Studies often involve germ-free mice, that the end goal of Zhao’s studies is to
but rodents have a very different physiology and find active ingredients, not prove “that
gut microbiota than humans. Pigs, by contrast, you can only treat people with the
have an anatomy and immune system closer to fungus that grows in the dung of some
those of people—along with an omnivorous beetles.” In Zhao’s lab, he says, “it’s
diet and a similar digestive tract. Western reductionist science meets
For research published in 2007, Shang- traditional Chinese medicine.”
hai Jiao Tong University microbiologist Zhao One promising compound Zhao
Liping led a team that inoculated 28 germ-free and colleagues are looking into is
piglets with the diluted excrement of a healthy berberine, the major pharmacological
10-year-old boy to see whether the boy’s gut component of the Chinese herb Coptis
microbiota would thrive in the piglets’ guts. chinensis, or huanglian. They have
That happened with two groups of bacteria found that when rats were given a
important to a healthy human gut, Bifidobac- high-fat diet together with berberine,
terium and Bacteroides. More importantly, the rodents didn’t develop obesity or
when the researchers analyzed the piglets’ gut insulin resistance—and in their guts,
microbiota 12 days later and compared it with populations of known pathogens
that of the human donor, conventionally raised decreased while those of known
piglets, and unrelated humans, the microbiota Whole hog. Humanized piglets show promise for beneficial bacteria increased. Other
most closely resembled that of the donor— microbiome research. gut species that changed in abundance
suggesting that it is possible to establish a haven’t yet been studied, and it’s not known
human microbiome in piglets while maintaining their health and immunity. whether they are linked to good or bad health.
Piglets with human gut flora have “great potential” for use in microbiome research, Zhao But Zhao is quick to acknowledge that this
says. Sharon Donovan, a pediatric health researcher at the University of Illinois, Urbana- work is not going to produce a panacea. And,
Champaign, agrees: “The piglet is an exceptional model for the human infant in terms of gastro- he adds, “we need to do a lot more work
intestinal, immune, and cognitive development.” to understand how [berberine] will affect
CREDIT: PHOTO PROVIDED BY XIAOYAN PANG
Several obstacles remain. Much less is known about pig genetics, so linking pig genes to the nutrition and metabolism.”
microbiome will be a challenge. Also, piglets are relatively expensive—about $120 apiece in If Zhao does one day prove a link
China—and, like other animals, not always receptive to human microbiota. In another study by between gut microbiota and health, it will
the Shanghai Jiao Tong scientists, seven out of 24 human-flora–associated piglets died because be bittersweet. His father, who suffers from
the bacteria they received from an otherwise healthy human donor’s stool contained a strain of inflammation and lingering effects from his
pneumonia-causing bacteria, which scientists had missed. Nonetheless, says Imperial College strokes, is in his last days, and Zhao has spent
London systems biologist Jeremy Nicholson, pigs inoculated with human microbiota get “closer much of the past few months at his bedside. “I
to an animal model of human overall system behavior” than other animals. Humanized pigs, he wish I had done this research 10 years ago,” he
adds, could be “the best thing you could do for human drug testing.” –M.H. says. “I could have helped him.”
–MARA HVISTENDAHL
1250 8 JUNE 2012 VOL 336 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org
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