Featured
-
-
Research Highlight |
How snuggling close affects bats’ microbiome
Members of a bat colony pass fur bacteria to each other.
-
Outlook |
Skin microbiota’s community effort
Each person’s skin carries a unique population of microbes that might help to protect skin from infection, or increase its vulnerability.
- Emily Sohn
-
Outline |
Gut reaction
Existing treatments bring only temporary relief to people with ulcerative colitis, a common form of inflammatory bowel disease. Insights into the immunobiology of the condition are driving the development of therapies that could lead to prolonged periods of remission.
- Michael Eisenstein
-
Outline |
Ulcerative colitis: towards remission
Existing treatments for debilitating gut inflammation can offer only temporary relief. An array of potential therapies look set to unlock lasting remission.
- Michael Eisenstein
-
Letter
| Open AccessThe human gut microbiome in early-onset type 1 diabetes from the TEDDY study
An analysis of more than 10,000 metagenomes from the TEDDY study provides a detailed functional profile of the gut microbiome in relation to islet autoimmunity, and supports the protective effects of short-chain fatty acids in early-onset type 1 diabetes.
- Tommi Vatanen
- , Eric A. Franzosa
- & Ramnik J. Xavier
-
Letter |
A gut microbial factor modulates locomotor behaviour in Drosophila
Female Drosophila that lack a microbiota are hyperactive, and xylose isomerase from Lactobacillus brevis is sufficient to reverse this effect.
- Catherine E. Schretter
- , Jost Vielmetter
- & Sarkis K. Mazmanian
-
Letter
| Open AccessTemporal development of the gut microbiome in early childhood from the TEDDY study
Metagenomic sequencing analysis of stool samples from 903 children as part of the TEDDY study shows that breastfeeding was the most important factor associated with microbiome structure, and the cessation of breast milk resulted in faster maturation of the gut microbiome.
- Christopher J. Stewart
- , Nadim J. Ajami
- & Joseph F. Petrosino
-
Article |
Pathogen elimination by probiotic Bacillus via signalling interference
Lipopeptides secreted by Bacillus bacteria block quorum sensing by Staphylococcus aureus and thereby inhibit the growth of this opportunistic pathogen in the gut, suggesting why people in rural Thailand who are colonized by Bacillus are not also colonized by S. aureus.
- Pipat Piewngam
- , Yue Zheng
- & Michael Otto
-
News & Views |
Checkpoint for gut microbes after birth
The route to the establishment of a beneficial microbial community in the gut after birth is not fully understood. It now emerges that a gut-cell protein in newborn mice shapes the long-term composition of this community.
- Andrew J. Macpherson
- & Stephanie C. Ganal-Vonarburg
-
Nature Podcast |
Podcast: Fox aggression, microbiota and geoengineering
Join Adam Levy and Benjamin Thompson for the latest news from the world of science.
-
Letter |
Neonatal selection by Toll-like receptor 5 influences long-term gut microbiota composition
Age-dependent epithelial expression of the innate immune receptor TLR5 in the gut of newborn mice selects against the presence of flagellated bacteria and influences microbiota composition throughout life.
- Marcus Fulde
- , Felix Sommer
- & Mathias W. Hornef
-
Research Highlight |
Transport network’s handrails teem with a mix of microbes during evening rush hour
Each line of Hong Kong’s transit system starts the day with a distinctive microbial profile — but this doesn’t last long.
-
Letter |
Structure and function of the global topsoil microbiome
Metagenomic, chemical and biomass analyses of topsoil samples from around the world reveal spatial and environmental trends in microbial community composition and genetic diversity.
- Mohammad Bahram
- , Falk Hildebrand
- & Peer Bork
-
Article |
Genome-centric view of carbon processing in thawing permafrost
Analysis of more than 1,500 microbial genomes sheds light on the processing of carbon released as permafrost thaws.
- Ben J. Woodcroft
- , Caitlin M. Singleton
- & Gene W. Tyson
-
News |
Genetically modified bacteria enlisted in fight against disease
Engineered strains of E. coli and other microbes are being tested in people to combat a slew of illnesses.
- Sara Reardon
-
Research Highlight |
A short course of laxatives has long-lasting effects on microbiome
Drugs prompt some gut bacteria to vanish in mice.
-
Letter |
Novel soil bacteria possess diverse genes for secondary metabolite biosynthesis
Metagenomic and soil microcosm analyses identify abundant biosynthetic gene clusters in genomes of microorganisms from a northern Californian grassland ecosystem that provide a potential source for the future development of bacterial natural products.
- Alexander Crits-Christoph
- , Spencer Diamond
- & Jillian F. Banfield
-
News |
Faecal transplants could help preserve vulnerable species
New gut bacteria can expand the diet of animals like koalas and rhinoceroses.
- Sara Reardon
-
Obituary |
Stanley Falkow (1934-2018)
Microbe hunter who uncovered how bacteria cause disease.
- Manuel R. Amieva
-
News Feature |
How gut microbes are joining the fight against cancer
The intestinal microbiome seems to influence how well some cancer drugs work. But is the science ripe for clinical trials?
- Giorgia Guglielmi
-
Letter |
An exclusive metabolic niche enables strain engraftment in the gut microbiota
Finely tuned control of strain engraftment and abundance in the mouse gut microbiota was achieved using the marine polysaccharide porphyran, which could exclusively be used by an introduced subset of wild-type or genetically modified Bacteroides strains.
- Elizabeth Stanley Shepherd
- , William C. DeLoache
- & Justin L. Sonnenburg
-
Research Highlight |
Fibre aids fight against nasty gut infection
Well-nourished microbiome can shut out potentially lethal bacteria.
-
Nature Podcast |
Human’s influence on the Mississippi and ‘dirty’ mice
Join Benjamin Thompson and Adam Levy for the latest from the world of science.
-
News Feature |
Squeaky clean mice could be ruining research
Most lab mice are kept in pristine conditions, but a few immunologists think a dose of dirt could make them a better model of human disease.
- Cassandra Willyard
-
Nature Podcast |
Mexican cavefish, the gut microbiome, and a wearable brain scanner
Shamini Bundell and Benjamin Thompson bring you the latest science news.
-
Outlook |
How baby’s first microbes could be crucial to future health
Altering the community of bacteria that live in the gut might help infants to thrive or even avoid conditions such as asthma and diabetes.
- Sarah DeWeerdt
-
Letter |
c-MAF-dependent regulatory T cells mediate immunological tolerance to a gut pathobiont
The transcription factor c-MAF is required for the generation of Helicobacter-specific regulatory T cells that selectively restrain pro-inflammatory TH17 cells; the absence of c-MAF in mouse regulatory T cells results in pathobiont-dependent inflammatory bowel disease.
- Mo Xu
- , Maria Pokrovskii
- & Dan R. Littman
-
-
Nature Podcast |
Climate sensitivity, and the fetal microbiome
Adam Levy and Shamini Bundell bring you the latest science news.
-
News Feature |
Could baby’s first bacteria take root before birth?
The womb was thought to be sterile, but some scientists argue that it’s where the microbiome begins.
- Cassandra Willyard
-
Letter |
Precision editing of the gut microbiota ameliorates colitis
Tungstate inhibits molybdenum-cofactor-dependent microbial respiratory pathways and shows potential as a selective treatment for microbial imbalances that occur during inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Wenhan Zhu
- , Maria G. Winter
- & Sebastian E. Winter
-
Article |
Dietary trehalose enhances virulence of epidemic Clostridium difficile
Two hypervirulent ribotypes of the enteric pathogen Clostridium difficile, RT027 and RT078, have independently acquired unique mechanisms to metabolize low concentrations of the disaccharide trehalose, suggesting a correlation between the emergence of these ribotypes and the widespread adoption of trehalose in the human diet.
- J. Collins
- , C. Robinson
- & R. A. Britton
-
Letter |
Moving beyond microbiome-wide associations to causal microbe identification
Triangulation of microbe–phenotype relationships is an effective method for reducing the noise inherent in microbiota studies and enabling identification of causal microbes of disease, which may be applicable to human microbiome studies.
- Neeraj K. Surana
- & Dennis L. Kasper
-
Letter |
A gut bacterial pathway metabolizes aromatic amino acids into nine circulating metabolites
A pathway for the production of aromatic amino acid metabolites in Clostridium sporogenes is described; modulation of serum levels of these metabolites in gnotobiotic mice affects intestinal permeability and systemic immunity.
- Dylan Dodd
- , Matthew H. Spitzer
- & Justin L. Sonnenburg
-
Review Article |
Progress in and promise of bacterial quorum sensing research
A Review of the genetics, biochemistry, ecology and evolution of bacterial quorum sensing.
- Marvin Whiteley
- , Stephen P. Diggle
- & E. Peter Greenberg
-
News & Views |
A high-pressure situation for bacteria
Analyses in mice suggest that dietary salt increases blood pressure partly by affecting some of the microbes that inhabit the gut. The implications of this work for hypertension warrant further study in humans. See Article p.585
- David A. Relman
-
Article |
Salt-responsive gut commensal modulates TH17 axis and disease
High salt intake changed the gut microbiome and increased TH17 cell numbers in mice, and reduced intestinal survival of Lactobacillus species, increased the number of TH17 cells and increased blood pressure in humans.
- Nicola Wilck
- , Mariana G. Matus
- & Dominik N. Müller
-
Outlook |
Microbiome: A bag of surprises
Once thought to be sterile, the bladder contains microbes that could influence the development and treatment of cancer.
- Claire Ainsworth
-
News |
Gut microbes can shape responses to cancer immunotherapy
Studies find that species diversity and antibiotics influence cutting-edge treaments.
- Heidi Ledford
-
Outlook |
Gut–liver axis: Menace in the microbiota
Modifying the population of bacteria in the gut might help to prevent and treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Andrew Scott
-
Letter |
Quantitative microbiome profiling links gut community variation to microbial load
Quantitive microbiome profiling reveals that total microbial load is an important determinant of enterotypes and may be a key driver of microbiota alterations in patients with Crohn’s disease.
- Doris Vandeputte
- , Gunter Kathagen
- & Jeroen Raes
-
Article
| Open AccessA communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity
As phase 1 of the Earth Microbiome Project, analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences from more than 27,000 environmental samples delivers a global picture of the basic structure and drivers of microbial distribution.
- Luke R. Thompson
- , Jon G. Sanders
- & Hongxia Zhao
-
Outlook |
Detecting diversity
Surveys of the microbes that live in the vagina have revealed unexpected variability. More research might reveal links between these microbes, infection and birth complications.
- Courtney Humphries
-
Article
| Open AccessStrains, functions and dynamics in the expanded Human Microbiome Project
Updates from the Human Microbiome Project analyse the largest known body-wide metagenomic profile of human microbiome personalization.
- Jason Lloyd-Price
- , Anup Mahurkar
- & Curtis Huttenhower
-
Article |
Commensal bacteria make GPCR ligands that mimic human signalling molecules
Commensal bacteria have N-acyl amide synthase genes that encode signalling molecules (N-acyl amides) that can interact with G-protein-coupled receptors and elicit host cellular responses similar to eukaryotic N-acyl amides.
- Louis J. Cohen
- , Daria Esterhazy
- & Sean F. Brady
-
News |
Modified viruses deliver death to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Engineered microbes turn a bacterium's immune response against itself using CRISPR.
- Sara Reardon
-
-
Letter |
Selective depletion of uropathogenic E. coli from the gut by a FimH antagonist
Both F17-like and type 1 pili promote intestinal colonization in mouse colonic crypts, and the high-affinity mannoside M4284 reduces intestinal colonization of uropathogenic Escherichia coli while simultaneously treating urinary tract infections without disrupting the composition of the gut microbiota.
- Caitlin N. Spaulding
- , Roger D. Klein
- & Scott J. Hultgren
-
News |
Gut bacteria can stop cancer drugs from working
Presence of particular microbes or enzymes could explain why some treatments are ineffective for certain people.
- Sara Reardon