Sensing Host Health: Insights from Sensory Protein Signature of the Metagenome.

The human microbiota, which comprises an ensemble of taxonomically and functionally diverse but often mutually cooperating microorganisms, benefits its host by shaping the host immunity, energy harvesting, and digestion of complex carbohydrates as well as production of essential nutrients. Dysbiosis in the human microbiota, especially the gut microbiota, has been reported to be linked to several diseases and metabolic disorders. Recent studies have further indicated that tracking these dysbiotic variations could potentially be exploited as biomarkers of disease states.

A perspective on the benefits of consumption of parboiled rice over brown rice for glycaemic control.

Purpose: Rice is a staple food for over 3.5 billion people worldwide. The nutritional content of rice varies with different post-harvest processing techniques.

Does immune recognition of SARS-CoV2 epitopes vary between different ethnic groups?

The SARS-CoV2 mediated Covid-19 pandemic has impacted humankind at an unprecedented scale. While substantial research efforts have focused towards understanding the mechanisms of viral infection and developing vaccines/ therapeutics, factors affecting the susceptibility to SARS-CoV2 infection and manifestation of Covid-19 remain less explored. Given that the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system is known to vary among ethnic populations, it is likely to affect the recognition of the virus, and in turn, the susceptibility to Covid-19.

Can Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Bacteria Be Distinguished by Sensory Protein Abundance?

Signal transduction systems are essential for microorganisms to respond to their ever-changing environment. They can be distinguished into one-component systems, two-component systems, and extracytoplasmic-function σ factors. Abundances of a few signal-transducing proteins, termed herein as sensory proteins (SPs), have previously been reported to be correlated with the genome size and ecological niche of certain Gram-positive bacteria.