Article Round Up: Microbiome Mania

Is there anything your microbiome can’t do? From immunity to fear these cohabiting bacteria seem to have a giant effect on our lives. Recent advancements in biotechnology, such as next-generation sequencing and advanced analytics, have enabled scientists to study and categorize these microorganisms with unprecedented precision. Thanks to these advances we’re finally able to study the tiny organisms that live if not right under our noses than at least inside of them! As a result, our understanding of the microbiome’s role in human health and happiness has exploded. In this blog post, we’ve compiled an (almost) A to Z list of articles that showcase the myriad ways in which our microbiome may influence our lives.

• A is for Alzheimer’s Disease “The gut microbiome in Alzheimer’s disease: what we know and what remains to be explored”
• B is for Body Temperature “Gut Microbiome May Control Body Temperature, Study Says”
• C is for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome “Gut Microbiomes Offer Insights into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”
• D is for Depression “The link between our food, gut microbiome and depression“
• E is for Exercise “A balanced gut microbiota can improve sports performance”
• F is for Fear “How Microbiomes Affect Fear”
• G is for Gastrointestinal diseases “Irritable bowel syndrome and microbiome; Switching from conventional diagnosis and therapies to personalized interventions”
• H is for Heart Health “How Gut Health can Lead to Risk for Heart Failure”
• I is for Immunity “Diet, Gut Microbes, and Immunity”
• J is for Jet Lag “UVA Discovery Could Ease Jet Lag, Improve Chemotherapy, Among Other Benefits”
• K is for Kidney Stones “The role of the microbiome in kidney stone formation”
• L is for Love “How your microbes influence your love life”
• M is for Multiple Sclerosis “New MS treatment targets the gut microbiome”
• N is for Nutrition “Effects of Gut Microbes on Nutrient Absorption and Energy Regulation”
• O is for Osteoporosis “The Human Gut Microbiota: A Key Mediator of Osteoporosis and Osteogenesis”
• P is for Parkinson Disease “New study puts gut microbiome at the center of Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis”
• Q is for Quieter Mind “Do monks hold the secret to better gut health?”
• R is for Rosceae “Rosacea and the Microbiome: A Systematic Review”
• S is for Substance Abuse “The Microbiome-Gut-Brain axis regulates social cognition & craving in young binge drinkers”
• T is for Tallness “The gut microbiome and early-life growth in a population with high prevalence of stunting”
• U is for UTIs “Recurrent UTIs linked to gut microbiome, chronic inflammation”
• V is for Vaccine Efficacy “The impact of the infant gut microbiome on vaccine efficacy”
• W is for Weight “These Gut Bacteria Prevent Obesity in Mice. What Could That Mean for Us?”
• Z is for Zzzzs “How Do the Bacteria in My Gut Affect My Sleep?”

These articles represent just the tip of the iceberg of current a future microbiome research! Learn the basics of the human microbiome by reading our previous post “May Microbes: The Human Microbiome” or even better with our hands on classroom experiment “Sequencing the Human Microbiome“.