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A Library of Human Gut Bacterial Isolates Paired with Longitudinal Multiomics Data Enables Mechanistic Microbiome Research
The Broad Institute and OpenBiome Microbiome Library (BIO-ML) now supplies a comprehensive collection of nearly 8,000 intestinal bacterial isolates, paired with nearly 4,000 genome sequences, to serve as an open access investigational resource.
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Discovery and Inhibition of an Interspecies Gut Bacterial Pathway for Levodopa Metabolism
One of the promising areas of emerging microbiome research is the impact of our intestinal flora on drug pharmacokinetics.
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Ruminococcus gnavus, a Member of the Human Gut Microbiome Associated with Crohn’s Disease, Produces an Inflammatory Polysaccharide
By Katie E. Golden The microbial communities that live peacefully in our gut play a critical role in healthy metabolism and immunity. Evolving research on the microbiome has linked chronic disease, like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), to significant and characteristic disruptions in both the types and relative abundance of bacterial species that colonize the intestine.…
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Massively Parallel Screening of Synthetic Microbial Communities
By Dr. Katie E. Golden, MD Microbial communities are emerging as an important area of research interest given their potential as biotechnological tools, with applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to agricultural development. One of the biggest challenges to engineering bacteria with specific benefits, however, is the inherent difficulty in predicting a species’ interactions with other microbial…
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Investigating Fecal Microbiota Transplantation as a Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that can be associated with daily, debilitating symptoms for patients. Studies suggest that it affects 7-16% of the United States population and 10-15% of the worldwide population, which is predominantly younger people and women (1). Patients suffer from a variety of symptoms that can have a…
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CMIT Collaborating with Boston Children’s Researchers to Study Changes in the Microbiome with Dietary Composition and Weight Loss
CMIT is excited to announce their collaboration with researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) on a new obesity and metabolism study.
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CMIT SuperUROP Undergoes Transformation
This program, which provides a year-long intensive lab experience for MIT undergraduates will be revitalized as it becomes part of the New Engineering Education Transformation Program Living Machines thread in the Fall of 2019.
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Transmission of Human-Associated Microbiota Along Family and Social Networks
By Dr. Katie E.Golden CMIT researchers study village populations in Fiji to try and understand how social networks influence the development of the human microbiome. The microbiome is an integral part of the human gastrointestinal system that contributes to our daily metabolism and immune function. It develops and changes throughout our lifespan, and scientists are…
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Innate and Adaptive Humoral Responses Coat Distinct Commensal Bacteria with Immunoglobulin A
Summary by Katie Golden Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is a prominent, widely distributed antibody that plays a critical role in host defense and immune function. Over 80% of all human plasma cells produce IgA and are found in the intestinal mucosa. Research has historically focused on IgA’s role in immunity against pathogenic organisms, but less is…