Impact of a human gut microbe on host colonization through biofilm enhancement.

Recent studies indicate that the human intestinal microbiota could impact the outcome of infection by the etiological agent of the diarrheal disease cholera. A commensal bacterium, was previously identified in high abundance in stool collected from individuals infected with when compared to stool from uninfected persons. However, if and how interacts with has not been experimentally determined; moreover, whether any association between this bacterium alters the behaviors of to affect the disease outcome is unclear.

The microbial biosphere of the coral in Northeastern Puerto Rico.

Background: Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystems in the marine realm, and they not only contribute a plethora of ecosystem services to other marine organisms, but they also are beneficial to humankind via, for instance, their role as nurseries for commercially important fish species. Corals are considered holobionts (host + symbionts) since they are composed not only of coral polyps, but also algae, other microbial eukaryotes and prokaryotes. In recent years, Caribbean reef corals, including the once-common scleractinian coral , have suffered unprecedented mortality due to climate change-related stressors.