Soil bacteria are prolific producers of a myriad of biologically active secondary metabolites. These natural products play key roles in modern society, finding use as anti-cancer agents, as food additives, and as alternatives to chemical pesticides. As for their original role in interbacterial communication, secondary metabolites have been extensively studied under in vitro conditions, revealing many roles including antagonism, effects on motility, niche colonization, signaling, and cellular differentiation.
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October 2024
Smoking is one of the risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Smoking worsens a person's health and can even cause death. This smoking behaviour is primarily initiated in adolescence.
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November 2024
Previously characterized as inert fat depots, adipocytes are now recognized as dynamic mediators of inflammatory tone, metabolic health, and nutrient homeostasis. As endocrine organs, specialized depots of adipose tissue engage in crosstalk between the gut, liver, pancreas, and brain to coordinate appetite, thermogenesis, and ultimately body weight. These functions are tightly linked to the inflammatory status of adipose tissue, which is in turn influenced by the health of the gut microbiome.
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