Optimizing single-cell RNA sequencing methods for human colon biopsies: droplet-based vs. picowell-based platforms.

Background & Aims: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA) has empowered many insights into gastrointestinal microenvironments. However, profiling human biopsies using droplet-based scRNA (D-scRNA) is challenging since it requires immediate processing to minimize epithelial cell damage. In contrast, picowell-based (P-scRNA) platforms permit short-term frozen storage before sequencing.

Select symbionts drive high IgA levels in the mouse intestine.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an important factor in maintaining homeostasis at mucosal surfaces, yet luminal IgA levels vary widely. Total IgA levels are thought to be driven by individual immune responses to specific microbes. Here, we found that the prebiotic, pectin oligosaccharide (pec-oligo), induced high IgA levels in the small intestine in a T cell-dependent manner.

Reverse translation approach generates a signature of penetrating fibrosis in Crohn's disease that is associated with anti-TNF response.

Objective: Fibrosis is a common feature of Crohn's disease (CD) which can involve the mesenteric fat. However, the molecular signature of this process remains unclear. Our goal was to define the transcriptional signature of mesenteric fibrosis in CD subjects and to model mesenteric fibrosis in mice to improve our understanding of CD pathogenesis.

SELfies and CELLfies: Whole Genome Sequencing and Annotation of Five Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Isolated from the Surfaces of Smartphones, An Inquiry Based Laboratory Exercise in a Genomics Undergraduate Course at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Are touchscreen devices a public health risk for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria, especially those that are resistant to antibiotics? To investigate this, we embarked on a project aimed at isolating and identifying bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics from the screens of smartphones. Touchscreen devices have become ubiquitous in society, and it is important to evaluate the potential risks they pose towards public health, especially as it pertains to the harboring and transmission of pathogenic bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Sixteen bacteria were initially isolated of which five were unique (four species and one species).