Category : Gut Microbiota

Probiotics have different potential therapeutic uses, although their mechanisms of action and how they might change after administration are not fully studied. In contrast to traditional drugs, probiotics can evolve during treatment, but how this process works inside the gut remains largely elusive. A new study, led by Dr. Gautam Dantas from the Washington University School of Medicine in St.…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Probiotics have different potential therapeutic uses, although their mechanisms of action and how they might change after administration are not fully studied. In contrast to traditional drugs, probiotics can evolve during treatment, but how this process works inside the gut remains largely elusive. A new study, led by Dr. Gautam Dantas from the Washington University School of Medicine in St.…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Although the underlying mechanisms involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis remain elusive, it is known that certain genes, which are shared by both Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, may show a predisposition to the development of this disease. Furthermore, the intestinal bacterial and fungal microbiota might also drive disease pathogenesis and progression. Despite this knowledge, the…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Although the underlying mechanisms involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis remain elusive, it is known that certain genes, which are shared by both Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, may show a predisposition to the development of this disease. Furthermore, the intestinal bacterial and fungal microbiota might also drive disease pathogenesis and progression. Despite this knowledge, the…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Celiac disease is a common food sensitivity triggered by gluten and its incidence is rising at an alarming rate. The reasons for this are not fully understood but suggestions are that they relate to changes in gut microbial composition or function. As part of previous research into gluten digestion processes, Dr. Alberto Caminero of  McMaster University (Canada) had described a…

Heather Galipeau
Heather Galipeau is a Research Associate at McMaster University (Canada) where she is researching dietary and microbial interactions in celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. She obtained her PhD in 2015 from McMaster University in Elena Verdu’s lab, during which she found that the small intestinal microbial background influences the degree of immuno-pathology triggered by dietary antigens, such as gluten.

Celiac disease is a common food sensitivity triggered by gluten and its incidence is rising at an alarming rate. The reasons for this are not fully understood but suggestions are that they relate to changes in gut microbial composition or function. As part of previous research into gluten digestion processes, Dr. Alberto Caminero of  McMaster University (Canada) had described a…

Heather Galipeau
Heather Galipeau is a Research Associate at McMaster University (Canada) where she is researching dietary and microbial interactions in celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. She obtained her PhD in 2015 from McMaster University in Elena Verdu’s lab, during which she found that the small intestinal microbial background influences the degree of immuno-pathology triggered by dietary antigens, such as gluten.

Fermented foods have been produced and consumed since the beginning of human civilization and are now, once again, becoming more prevalent in our diets and in a variety of forms. Prof. Robert Hutkins from the University of Nebraska (USA) studies the role of beneficial microbes in manufacturing fermented foods and in human health. In January 2019, he published the second…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Fermented foods have been produced and consumed since the beginning of human civilization and are now, once again, becoming more prevalent in our diets and in a variety of forms. Prof. Robert Hutkins from the University of Nebraska (USA) studies the role of beneficial microbes in manufacturing fermented foods and in human health. In January 2019, he published the second…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

The existing evidence about a different gut microbiota composition between healthy and obese or type 2 diabetic patients has led scientists to study the role of gut microbes in the onset and development of metabolic diseases. Several mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may interfere with energy metabolism are currently being explored, though it is not fully understood how the…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

The existing evidence about a different gut microbiota composition between healthy and obese or type 2 diabetic patients has led scientists to study the role of gut microbes in the onset and development of metabolic diseases. Several mechanisms by which the gut microbiota may interfere with energy metabolism are currently being explored, though it is not fully understood how the…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Microbiome studies carried out in the past decade have led to an enhanced understanding of the gut microbiome in human health. However, most of these studies have been carried out in western countries and the Indian gut microbiome is not well explored. Since dietary habits and lifestyle play a key role in shaping the gut microbiome, large differences in the…

Vineet K. Sharma
Dr. Sharma has been an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal since July 2011. Dr. Sharma obtained his PhD in Bioinformatics and Biomedical Sciences from IGIB, New Delhi in 2006. After completing his doctoral research, he worked as a scientist at RIKEN, Japan for five years and joined IISER Bhopal after returning to India. He is also the founder and coordinator of the Innovation and Incubation Centre of Entrepreneurship (IICE) at IISER Bhopal. The main focus of Dr. Sharma’s lab is to reveal and analyze the human-associated microbiome among the Indian population and carry out comparative studies with different populations to gain functional insights, while also making comparisons with healthy and disease datasets. Dr. Sharma’s groups also recently sequenced the genome of the peacock, which is the national bird of India.

Microbiome studies carried out in the past decade have led to an enhanced understanding of the gut microbiome in human health. However, most of these studies have been carried out in western countries and the Indian gut microbiome is not well explored. Since dietary habits and lifestyle play a key role in shaping the gut microbiome, large differences in the…

Vineet K. Sharma
Dr. Sharma has been an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal since July 2011. Dr. Sharma obtained his PhD in Bioinformatics and Biomedical Sciences from IGIB, New Delhi in 2006. After completing his doctoral research, he worked as a scientist at RIKEN, Japan for five years and joined IISER Bhopal after returning to India. He is also the founder and coordinator of the Innovation and Incubation Centre of Entrepreneurship (IICE) at IISER Bhopal. The main focus of Dr. Sharma’s lab is to reveal and analyze the human-associated microbiome among the Indian population and carry out comparative studies with different populations to gain functional insights, while also making comparisons with healthy and disease datasets. Dr. Sharma’s groups also recently sequenced the genome of the peacock, which is the national bird of India.

Previous research has widely studied the impact of early-life factors—related to both infant and mother—on milk microbiota diversity and composition. However, until now, scientists have focused mainly on the milk’s bacterial fraction without exploring the contribution of other commensal microorganisms such as colonizing fungi (the mycobiome). A new study, led by Dr. Maria Carmen Collado from the Institute of Agrochemistry…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

Previous research has widely studied the impact of early-life factors—related to both infant and mother—on milk microbiota diversity and composition. However, until now, scientists have focused mainly on the milk’s bacterial fraction without exploring the contribution of other commensal microorganisms such as colonizing fungi (the mycobiome). A new study, led by Dr. Maria Carmen Collado from the Institute of Agrochemistry…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

Alongside bacterial members of the gut microbiota, scientists have now started exploring archaea, microbial eukaryotes (fungi and protozoa) and viruses present in the gut. Among them, the community of viruses (also called the human gut phageome) offers a promising area of research. Even though phages were first identified 100 years ago by Félix d’Herelle, it was not until recently that…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Alongside bacterial members of the gut microbiota, scientists have now started exploring archaea, microbial eukaryotes (fungi and protozoa) and viruses present in the gut. Among them, the community of viruses (also called the human gut phageome) offers a promising area of research. Even though phages were first identified 100 years ago by Félix d’Herelle, it was not until recently that…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Of all non-digestible carbohydrates, the scientific community is paying special attention to resistant starches (RS) that reach the colon intact, where they are subsequently metabolized via gut bacteria. Their benefits for host health may range from affecting insulin’s control of blood sugar and weight to slowing down chronic kidney disease progression and they likely arise from a multitude of mechanisms…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

Of all non-digestible carbohydrates, the scientific community is paying special attention to resistant starches (RS) that reach the colon intact, where they are subsequently metabolized via gut bacteria. Their benefits for host health may range from affecting insulin’s control of blood sugar and weight to slowing down chronic kidney disease progression and they likely arise from a multitude of mechanisms…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

It is a well-known fact that a broad range of drugs can affect gut microbiota composition. Furthermore, the gut microbiome may affect drug efficacy and toxicity—previous findings have suggested that gut microbes could shape benefits from cancer immunotherapy—thus contributing to the explanation of why not all patients respond in the same way to the same medication. However, little is known…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

It is a well-known fact that a broad range of drugs can affect gut microbiota composition. Furthermore, the gut microbiome may affect drug efficacy and toxicity—previous findings have suggested that gut microbes could shape benefits from cancer immunotherapy—thus contributing to the explanation of why not all patients respond in the same way to the same medication. However, little is known…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados