commensal organisms

Aberrant immune activation, the main cause of prematurity and stillbirths, could be preventable through interventions such as maternal vaccination. 

All multicellular creatures interact with bacteria, but some have taken the relationship to another level with highly specialized structures that house, feed, and exploit the tiny organisms.

Specialized structures in plants and animals help attract and mediate communication with bacterial symbionts.

IgA antibodies appear to bind to specific species of commensal gut bacteria in mice, according to a study.

A study of feeding behavior suggests the fish feed differently in front of their partners—a behavioral feature also found in primates.

Depleting intestinal fungi allows radiation to effectively fight cancer, likely because the microbes influence the antitumor immune response.

Recent research shows that the insect’s microbial community is central to protecting the hive from invaders—both big and small.

A B-cell receptor critical for the production of a subset of intestinal antibodies has been pinpointed, but the function of those antibodies remains unclear.

Molecules produced by resident bacteria and their hosts may signal immune cells to attack the body’s own tissues.

Antigens originating from the microbiome may trigger an autoimmune response.

Isotope changes in the bones demonstrate a similar pattern across far-flung islands.

E. coli that make indoles protect older worms, flies, and mice from frailty. 

Problematic dietary advice; the man whose cells were fixed with CRISPR; treating toads

Maternal antibodies engender a receptive gut environment for beneficial bacteria in newborn mice.

A round-up of recent discoveries in behavior research

The largely overlooked resident fungal community plays a critical role in human health and disease.

Diverse fungal species live in and on the human body.

Scientists identify a barrier in mice between the intestine and its blood supply, and suggest how Salmonella sneaks through it.

Beneficial gut bacteria have evolved resistance to antimicrobial peptides that hosts release to fight pathogens.