Rotavirus infection induces glycan availability to promote ileum-specific changes in the microbiome aiding rotavirus virulence.

Multiple studies have identified changes within the gut microbiome in response to diarrheal-inducing bacterial pathogens. However, examination of the microbiome in response to viral pathogens remains understudied. Compounding this, many studies use fecal samples to assess microbiome composition; which may not accurately mirror changes within the small intestine, the primary site for most enteric virus infections.

Temporal development of the gut microbiome in early childhood from the TEDDY study.

The development of the microbiome from infancy to childhood is dependent on a range of factors, with microbial-immune crosstalk during this time thought to be involved in the pathobiology of later life diseases such as persistent islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes. However, to our knowledge, no studies have performed extensive characterization of the microbiome in early life in a large, multi-centre population. Here we analyse longitudinal stool samples from 903 children between 3 and 46 months of age by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (n = 12,005) and metagenomic sequencing (n = 10,867), as part of the The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study.

Oral microbiota reveals signs of acculturation in Mexican American women.

The oral microbiome has been linked to a number of chronic inflammatory conditions, including obesity, diabetes, periodontitis, and cancers of the stomach and liver. These conditions disproportionately affect Mexican American women, yet few studies have examined the oral microbiota in this at-risk group. We characterized the 16S rDNA oral microbiome in 369 non-smoking women enrolled in the MD Anderson Mano a Mano Mexican American Cohort Study.

Wild Mouse Gut Microbiota Promotes Host Fitness and Improves Disease Resistance.

Laboratory mice, while paramount for understanding basic biological phenomena, are limited in modeling complex diseases of humans and other free-living mammals. Because the microbiome is a major factor in mammalian physiology, we aimed to identify a naturally evolved reference microbiome to better recapitulate physiological phenomena relevant in the natural world outside the laboratory. Among 21 distinct mouse populations worldwide, we identified a closely related wild relative to standard laboratory mouse strains.

Impact of environmental microbiota on human microbiota of workers in academic mouse research facilities: An observational study.

Objectives: To characterize the microbial environment of workers in academic mouse research facilities using endotoxin, 16S qPCR, and 16S amplicon sequencing. To determine whether the work microbiome contributes to the human microbiome of workers.

Methods: We performed area air sampling from the animal rooms, dirty, middle, and setup cage wash locations in four academic mouse research facilities.

Conjunctival Microbiome Changes Associated With Soft Contact Lens and Orthokeratology Lens Wearing.

Purpose: Usage of different types of contact lenses is associated with increased risk of sight-threatening complications. Changes in the ocular microbiome caused by contact lens wear are suggested to affect infection development in those individuals. To address this question, this study compares conjunctival microbial communities in contact lens wearers with those in noncontact lens wearers.

Genetic and Environmental Determinants of Otitis Media in an Indigenous Filipino Population.

Objective: To identify genetic and environmental risk factors for otitis media in an indigenous Filipino population.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Indigenous Filipino community.

Middle ear microbiome differences in indigenous Filipinos with chronic otitis media due to a duplication in the A2ML1 gene.

Background: Previously rare A2ML1 variants were identified to confer otitis media susceptibility in an indigenous Filipino community and in otitis-prone US children. The goal of this study is to describe differences in the middle ear microbiome between carriers and non-carriers of an A2ML1 duplication variant that increases risk for chronic otitis media among indigenous Filipinos with poor health care access.

Methods: Ear swabs were obtained from 16 indigenous Filipino individuals with chronic otitis media, of whom 11 carry the A2ML1 duplication variant.

Altered Mucosal Microbiome Diversity and Disease Severity in Sjögren Syndrome.

There is mounting evidence that the microbiome has potent immunoregulatory functions. We assessed the effects of intestinal dysbiosis in a model of Sjögren syndrome (SS) by subjecting mice to desiccating stress (DS) and antibiotics (ABX). We characterized the conjunctival, tongue and fecal microbiome profiles of patients with SS.

Promise and Pragmatism in Clinical Microbiome Research.

The evolution of human microbiome research has lead to a systems biology approach that encompasses multidisciplinary investigations. The implementation of next generation sequencing technologies has allowed researchers to study unculturable organisms, discover novel ones, and provide insights into the role of the human microbiome in health and disease. When these approaches are applied to large-scale longitudinal studies designed to interrogate the association of the microbiome with specific clinical outcomes, the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics intended to modulate or detect changes in microbiome composition to improve human health are born.