Search Results for: microbiome

Author: Jansson, Janet K.; Hofmockel, Kirsten S. Description: The soil microbiome governs biogeochemical cycling of macronutrients, micronutrients and other elements vital for the growth of plants and animal life. Understanding and predicting the impact of climate change on soil microbiomes and the ecosystem services they provide present a grand challenge and major opportunity as we direct our research efforts towards one of the most pressing problems facing our planet. In this Review, we explore the current state of knowledge about the impacts of climate change on soil microorganisms in different…

Author: Prince, B.T.; Mandel, M.J.; Nadeau, K.; Singh, A.M. Description: The impact of gut microbiome on human development, nutritional needs, and disease has become evident with advances in the ability to study these complex communities of microorganisms, and there is growing appreciation for the role of the microbiome in immune regulation. Several studies have examined associations between changes in the commensal microbiota and the development of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and asthma, but far less have evaluated the impact of the microbiome on the development of food allergy. This article reviews…

Author: Rogers, C.J.; Prabhu, K.S.; Vijay-Kumar, M. Description: Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for the development of numerous types of cancer. Although many factors contribute to obesity-driven tumorigenesis, this review focuses on the functioning of the gut microbiota (the microbiome) as an environmental risk factor for certain types of cancers, and presents possible biological mediators. Obesity is a well-studied condition that is associated with microbiotal dysbiosis, which could result in several physiologic changes that may contribute to the relationship between obesity and cancer risk. These include altered microbial…

Author: Zierer, J.; Jackson, M.A.; Kastenmuller, G.; Mangino, M.; Long, T.; Telenti, A.; Mohney, R.P.; Small, K.S.; Bell, J.T.; Steves, C.J.; Valdes, A.M.; Spector, T.D.; Menni, C. Description: The human gut microbiome plays a key role in human health, but 16S characterization lacks quantitative functional annotation. The fecal metabolome provides a functional readout of microbial activity and can be used as an intermediate phenotype mediating host-microbiome interactions. In this comprehensive description of the fecal metabolome, examining 1,116 metabolites from 786 individuals from a population-based twin study (TwinsUK), the fecal metabolome…

Author: Walker, R.W.; Clemente, J.C.; Peter, I.; Loos, R.J.F. Description: The colonization of the gut with microbes in early life is critical to the developing newborn immune system, metabolic function and potentially future health. Maternal microbes are transmitted to offspring during childbirth, representing a key step in the colonization of the infant gut. Studies of infant meconium suggest that bacteria are present in the foetal gut prior to birth, meaning that colonization could occur prenatally. Animal studies have shown that prenatal transmission of microbes to the foetus is possible, and…

Author: Solt, I. Description: The emergence of the concept of the microbiome, together with the development of molecular-based techniques, particularly polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, has dramatically increased the detection of microorganisms, the number of known species, and the understanding of bacterial communities that are relevant to maternal-fetal medicine in health and disease. Culture-independent methods enable characterization of the microbiomes of the reproductive tract of pregnant and nonpregnant women, and have increased our understanding of the role of the uterine microbiome in adverse…

Author: Kuntz, T.M.; Gilbert, J.A. Description: Understanding how individual people respond to medical therapy is a key facet of improving the odds ratio that interventions will have a positive impact. Reducing the non-responder rate for an intervention or reducing complications associated with a particular treatment or surgery is the next stage of medical advance. The Precision Medicine Initiative, launched in January 2015, set the stage for enhanced collaboration between researchers and medical professionals to develop next-generation techniques to aid patient treatment and recovery, and increased the opportunities for impactful pre-emptive…