Browsing: microbiomes

Your skin, gastrointestinal (GI) tract — even your lungs and toenails — are teeming with trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Together, they’re called the microbiome. Most are essential for your health and well-being. They help digest food, synthesize vitamins, metabolize some drugs, detoxify carcinogens and they play a crucial role in training and regulating…

The trillions of microorganisms living in our intestine influence our health, from digestion and metabolism to immunity. Yet scientists still struggle to understand how these microbes shape these important physiological functions because gut microbiomes are extraordinarily complex, redundant, and dynamic. New technologies are therefore essential for advancing microbiome research. Researchers at the University of Vienna…

Dear Doctors: I was at a wedding where, in his toast, the best man said that as well as a home, the couple would be sharing their gut bacteria. They’re all biologists, so it seemed like an inside joke. When I asked him, he said no, it’s actually true. Really? Do couples start to share…