Tag Microbiome
Bacteria with a taste for an inflammatory compound could help protect against heart disease
Some microbes in the guts of humans and mice may help control the buildup of plaque in arteries, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, by gobbling up a group of inflammatory chemicals before they can circulate in the body. Read More
New way to alter DNA, affect health circumvents gut bacteria
A study by Wisconsin Institute for Discovery researchers challenges long-held beliefs, with potential implications for physiological processes and diseases such as propionic acidemia, autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. Read More
THOR wrangles complex microbiomes into a model for improving them
A growing understanding of microbial communities and their influence on human health or crop productivity has led to the dream of changing these communities to produce benefits. New research addresses this head-on. Read More
Recovering from a heart attack? Hold the antibiotics
An international team of researchers has shown in mice that a healthy gut microbiome is important for recovery after a heart attack. Read More
Dynamic modeling helps predict the behaviors of gut microbes
A first step toward understanding how to manipulate the properties of the gut ecosystem could allow scientists to design a probiotic that persists in the gut, or tailor a diet to positively influence human health. Read More
Microbes compete for nutrients, affect metabolism, development in mice
While research suggests that the complex link between nutrition, gut microbes, and host metabolism is vital for health, many questions remain about how to improve outcomes, either in mice or in humans. Read More
From mice, clues to microbiome’s influence on metabolic disease
The microorganisms that reside in the gut work in tandem with the genes of a host organism to regulate insulin secretion, a key variable in the onset of diabetes. Read More
UW-Madison launches Microbiome Initiative
Recent studies have shown that the complement of microorganisms known as the microbiome is an important determinant of human health and disease. Read More
Gut’s microbial community shown to influence host gene expression
The upshot of the study is another indictment of the so-called Western diet, high in saturated fats, sugar and red meat. Read More
UW-Madison seeks to capitalize on push to harness helpful microbes
The federal government has launched the National Microbiome Initiative to “foster the integrated study of microbiomes across different ecosystems.” Read More
“Happy Days Study” meets the microbiome
For almost 60 years, the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) has closely followed the life course of roughly a third of Wisconsin high school graduates from the class of 1957. Read More
Microbiome meets big social science: What’s the potential?
Over the last decade or so, biologists have mustered an ever-growing appreciation for the essential role of microbial communities in a diversity of environments. Read More