In a recent lecture at the University of Cambridge, Bill Gates argued that the key to solving child malnutrition, one of the biggest global contributors to inequity, lies in deeper understanding of the gut microbiome. Much microbiome research has focussed on the influence of the gut microbiome on...
It is common for microbiome researchers to struggle over the choice between 16S sequencing or shotgun metagenome sequencing (SMS) for their study. When deciding which sequencing technique to use, it is essential to consider a number of factors including the research question, study design and cost....
With so many options of fecal collection devices available for gut microbiome studies, how do you choose the best one for your research?
The primary purpose of a sample collection device is to capture a representative in vivo microbial sample capable of generating high-quality and reproducible data...
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a collective term for chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which include Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). These conditions are characterized by alternating phases of inflammation and mucosal tissue damage (active...
Humans are unable to digest the bulk of dietary fibres without the help of anaerobic bacterial populations that convert the indigestible compounds to a form we are readily able to use. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are bioactive molecules that are a metabolic by-product of bacterial fermentation...
The worldwide demand for food crops is only increasing and research is proving that plant and soil microbes are crucial to the growth and production of crops. Therefore, it’s highly important to gain a thorough understanding of these microbiomes and the influence of climate change on them, in order...
The involvement of the gut microbiome in communication with the brain and its influence on human behaviour is an exciting area of research. The bidirectional signalling between the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (including gut microbes) and the brain, termed the microbiota-gut-brain axis, is regulated...
At Microbiome Insights, we're proud of the women on our team who help us do what we do. It's important to us that we recruit only the best and most driven individuals -- and we are proud that more than 40% of our employees and leaders are women.
The need for standardization is a popular topic at recent microbiome conferences. With technologies having advanced rapidly over the past two decades, is the field now ready to define and adopt standard operating protocols (SOPs) for all stages of microbiome research, from sampling to analysis?...
As microbiome science advances rapidly, the number of books on microbiome-related topics is growing—yet it can be difficult to find reliable, science-based information. The hottest new microbiome book not only contains robust scientific information, but has suggestions on how to apply the findings...