Absence of Microbes May Increase Allergies/Asthma

Did you know that microbes may be the cause of your allergies and asthma? And not in good way either. Past research indicated that people of lower socioeconomic status are more prone to asthma, allergies, and other inflammatory disorders. Now, a new study suggests this may be because individuals are more likely to live in urban areas, reducing their exposure to "healthy microbes" in rural settings. Researchers have coined this occurrence as the "hygiene hypothesis", in which populations in richer Western countries are more prone to chronic inflammation because they have become too clean. This hypothesis explores the idea that some microbes and infections combine to abolish inflammation in the immune system and that reducing exposure to these may lead to health problems. The team currently researching this says this idea may explain why individuals of a low socioeconomic status are more prone to inflammatory disorders - they cannot afford to live in rural settings, therefore they have reduced exposure to rural microbes. This is a very interesting article, and it contradicts everything that has been said about how microbes are the cause of asthma and allergies. This really helps me a lot because I have both of those conditions, and it may be because I'm not exposing myself to rural microbes. This article should help a lot of people who have asthma and allergies.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275992.php

Lack of microbes may cause asthma/allergies

 

New Meaning To "Filthy Rich"

We already know that microbes inhabit everything around us. From our food, to the books we read, and even in our own bodies, microbes are literally everywhere. We also know they can inhabit cash. But how many microbes live on cash? As part of an experiment, NYU researchers analyzed the genetic material on $1 bills and have identified about 3,000 types of bacteria in all of them! The number discovered is many times higher than the previous number originally found, where samples were studied under microscopes. Among the more abundant species researchers discovered was on that causes common skin problems in people, specifically acne. Several others were linked to health issues such as food poisoning, gastric ulcers, pneumonia, and staph infections. Some also carried genes responsible for antibiotic resistance. This is very interesting to know that microbes can grow on money, and it is also concerning the types of diseases one can contract because of the money they handle. The next time you take money from someone, think again, and take precautions to taking it. As for carrying money, always try to sanitize your hands after handling cash, and also, make sure to not carry too much, as microbes can start festering and start growing inside your wallet, and eventually into your pocket and all over your pants. The government, in the mean time, is trying to find a way to make paper money safe and resistance to bacteria when it is printed. This was a really interesting article to read and also raises a lot of concerns about hygiene and how one can help stay clean. The author really raises the issue of foreign banknotes being unsanitary, and that transmission of disease is high some countries because of microbes on money.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/5925/20140422/new-meaning-filthy-rich-scientists-find-surprising-number-microbes.htm

Our currency is a hotbed for the exchange of hundreds of different kinds of bacteria.

Microbes From T-Rex Head to Space

Now that scientists have the basic idea how different microbes work in different parts of the world, its time to know how they work in space. Microbes from Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex at Chicago's Field Museum, launch with the SpaceX Falcon 9. Researchers are trying to figure out how 48 microbes from different places on Earth compare to each other and ones already found on the International Space Station. Officials are trying to understand how microbes behave in microgravity in order to plan for long-term manned space flight. This article really details what microbes are being sent to space and why they are being sent. If this continues, we might be able to start long-term manned missions in no time and be able to land on Mars and other planets in other solar systems. The author really stresses how important these microbes are because apparently they are used in "microbial fertilizer" for agriculture. Everything was clear in this article and this will help future enthusiasts to know how microbes work in space.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-field-museum-sue-dinosaur-international-space-station-255187091.html

Sue, the T-Rex at Chicago Field Musuem

Dairy Scientists Target Heat-Resistant Microbes

We all know that milk (or any dairy product for that matter) is a prime target for microbes. Because of this, they can spoil and cause cheese to a crumbly mess. For more than a century, milk has been heated to kill any bacteria or pathogens that can affect consumer health and shorten the shelf life of the product. However, it has been recently discovered that microbes, known as thermoduric, can survive the pasteurization. Agricultural Experiment Station researcher and dairy science professor, Sanjeev Anand, has begun developing ways to combat heat-resistant microorganisms, a major challenge for the world's dairy industry. These microbes protect themselves from heat by forming spores. Others, known as thermophlic, even thrive in high temperatures. Milk products containing high microbe counts have flavor, texture, and spoilage problems. In addition, some spore formers produce harmful toxins. Right now, the research team is working on targeting biofilm, which form on a lot of equipment that is used to pasteurize milk. By examining the conditions in which biofilms form, it will prepare make new cleaning systems that can remove them more effectively and efficiently. They are also identifying chemicals that are effective on each species of organisms and this will help better knock out these microbes. With all this new research, the SDSU hopes to improve the quality, safety, and shelf life of dairy products.

Professor Sanjev Anand and student work on developing a non-thermal and thermal combined application that will make heat-resistant microbes susceptible to the pasteurization process.

MIT Researchers Believe Microbes Caused the Earth's Mass Extinction 252 Million Years Ago

Did you know that microbes may have caused the Earth's mass extinction 252 million years ago? Researchers may believe that methane-producing microbes called Methanosarcina were the cause of it. They may have found their way into the atmosphere and influenced a wild and rapid climate change. Previous theories have stated that massive volcanic eruptions caused the die-off, but this may have been because of the rapid changes in climate and weather. The author explains how sudden spikes in carbon dioxide in the oceans have appeared during the time of extinction. He also explains how the Methanosarcina underwent a genetic change beforehand to become the prolific producer of methane than it apparently was. Lastly, sediment samples show an inrease in Nickel throughout this exact timeline. This increase in methane would have influenced of higher carbon dioxide levels in the oceans. The research doesn't exactly prove that microbes were the sole factor of the mass extinction. But it does eliminate other popular theories and also has a lot of evidence proving its way. This article is very clear in terms of how this was researched and the evidence proves this theory.

One theory of mass extinction

Chocolate; The Miracle Medicine

Did you know that dark chocolate is actually really good for you? I didn't either, but recent studies have shown that stomach microbes turn cocoa into a natural drug that reduces blood pressure. Victoria Woollaston writes about the process in which dark chocolate reduces the blood pressure. Previous studies have already been told that daily consumption of dark chocolate reduces blood pressure and is good for the heart. But more recent studies have found how it reduces blood pressure and the process behind it. Microbes in the gut, such as Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria, feast on chocolate. These bacteria grow and ferment the chocolate, producing compounds that are anti-inflammatory. This naturally forming anti-inflammatory enters the bloodstream and helps protect the heart and arteries from damage. Tests on three types of cocoa powder, the raw ingredient used to make chocolate, in an artificial digestive tract consisting of a series of modified test tubes has concluded that the components are readily processed by the friendly bacteria in the colon. Dark chocolate contains a higher cocoa content, increasing this process. The studies done have found that the small polymers that are produced exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. When the compounds are absorbed by the body, they lessen the inflammation of cardiovascular tissue, reducing the long-term risk of stroke. Combining dark chocolate with fruits such as pomegranates or acai may also boost its benefits. This article is very clear and it explains really well how the process goes when dark chocolate enters your body and the microbes help digest it and make a drug to help protect the heart and arteries.

Cocoa in its natural form

Methane-producing Microbe Blooms In Permafrost Thaw

In northern Sweden and some parts of the world, parts of permafrost are thawing because of the climate warming up. Because of this, new microbes are being discovered and are adding to the list of microbe species. One such microbe, found in the mires of northernmost Sweden, flourishes and produces large amounts of greenhouse gases. Several billion years ago, before cyanobacteria, archaea flourished in warm, shallow oceans and letting out methane into the atmosphere. Today, most of the archaea's descendants hide in places where oxygen cannot reach them, where they also still produce methane. The methanogen archaea in permafrost have led still lives in the frozen soil. The small amounts of methane they produced have stayed below in the ice or have been consumed by methane-eating neighbors. But because of the recent heating-up of the arctic regions, these methanogens now have access to carbon dioxide and hydrogen which they convert into methane. This methane now contributes further global warming. Rhiannon Mondav, PhD student of limnology at Uppsala Universtiy, is part of the international research group which decided to look for methanogens in the Stordalen mire. She discovered a previously unknown methanogen, and with the help of the research group, mapped its genome and named it Methanoflorens stordalenmirensis. This newly discovered methanogen exists in such abundance that it made up 90 percent of the archaea in the Stordalen mire. Now that the new species has been described, it has been found to exist also in other peatlands and mires, contributing in a significant way to global methane production and thereby global warming. From the sound of the researchers in the rest of the article and the writer, it sounds like the discovery of this microbe now just goes to prove that the Earth is going to start warming up a lot faster and their is much worry. Nothing in this article is unclear and the writer explains it in great detail.

The wet areas show where the mire has thawed out completely. Here methanogens thrive.

Biggest-ever Virus Revived from Stone Age Permafrost

A virus of unprecedented size has been discovered just a couple of days ago in Russian permafrost 30,000 years old and has just been reactivated. Dubbed a pithovirus, the virus infects amoebas but does not appear to harm human or mouse cells. Even so, now that this virus has been revived from permafrost, who knows what other viruses might be awakened? There's a good chance that there could be pathogenic viruses in the ice too, which could cause unknown diseases and cause strange symptoms. Jean-Michel Claverie, co-leader of the team that discovered the big virus, says that "thirty percent of the world's oil reserves are thought to be hidden under the permafrost, along with gold and other key minerals, so exploration is bound to increase." This means that researchers need to take careful precautions when prospecting. If people start becoming sick with strange symptoms, it will be wise to quarantine and clear them before sending them back. The pithovirus itself is very different than any known virus. At 1.5 micrometers long and 0.5 micrometers wide, it is 30 percent bigger than the previous largest virus, the pandoravirus. In order to draw out the virus, the researchers baited it with amoebas, which are known to be the primary target for big viruses. The team is now hunting for other viruses in the permafrost, but just as the writer describes it, there is a fear that reawakening these viruses may lead to unnatural pandemics and may also increase global warning by digesting organic matter and releasing greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. Claverie says that his team is also planning to hunt for large viruses in much older permafrost samples, from as early as 3 million years ago, to see if any can be revived. From this article, it is clear that the writer is scared if any new viruses hidden in the permafrost were to be awakened. They could cause unknown diseases to which there may not be a cure for or worse, no way to treat the symptoms. But Claverie and his team guarantee that they will be very careful when digging in the ice and they are positive that the pithovirus is not harmful to humans at all.

Pithovirus, viewed by electron microscopy.

The Secret Life of Ocean Microbes

We all know that microbes play a huge role in the ocean. We also know that the ocean is teeming with trash, which collects in places in the ocean where currents can trap the debris, such as the great Pacific garbage patch, which is about the size of Texas. Little was known about how sea debris affected the entire ocean ecosystem or how microbial communities, dubbed "plastisphere", are impacting the ocean ecosystem. Last year, scientists discovered that about 1,000 microbes thrived on the plastic debris that drifts in the oceans. A lot of the bacteria belong to the genus Vibrio (the same genus as the cholera bacteria), which is known to cause diseases in humans and animals. Other microbes of the plastisphere seemed to hasten the breakdown of the plastic. What's clearly interesting, however, is that these microbes look markedly different from ordinary marine microbes. Scientists have found evidence that these microbes can form colonies on plastic in just a few minutes. In addition, some types of harmful bacteria tend to prefer living on plastic more than others do. Unlocking the mysterious world of these microbes could help scientists understand the role of plastic in the ocean as a whole. Tracy Mincer, an associate scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass., says that "one of the benefits of understanding the plastisphere right now and how it interacts with biota in general, is that we are better able to inform materials scientists on how to make better materials and, if they do get out to the sea, have the lowest impact possible." This could possible mean that plastic, glass, and paper may become obsolete and that new materials might be created from the findings of these microbes. These new materials will break down easier and have the lowest impact on marine life and on the ocean ecosystem. Nothing in this article is unclear, the author does a fine job explaining how trash in the ocean affects its ecosystem and how communities of microbes have been found in the debris.

Microbial Communities Found On Ocean Debris

Stop Microbes, Not Missiles

Jason Beaubien from NPR explains how the Global Health Security Agenda plans on building a worldwide surveillance system for infectious diseases. Them, along with the World Health Organization and several other international groups, aims to stop epidemics and bioterror agents before they spread. Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, says that the U.S. and the world are at greater risk than ever before from biological organisms. "Viruses are just a plane ride away, bird flu could spread out of Asia. Ebola could emerge out of central Africa, or drug-resistant Staphylococcus can sweep through hospital wards." The Global Health Security Agenda is an attempt to make the world better prepared to confront those threats. The Obama administration seems to agree also. It has placed several high-ranking officials on the project, not just from the medical side of the government, but also from the U.S. military and the Department of Homeland Security. The GHSA plans to build a structure for biosurveillance so that other countries will be able to quickly detect the next major epidemic. The program also will set standards for national laboratories and outline the diagnostic tools needed to spot and contain modern diseases. The participating countries seem to have committed to creating emergency disease centers that can respond within two hours to an outbreak or some other crisis. It's unclear how much the GHSA will cost the U.S. Other countries seem to be spending their own money on the parts they're implementing themselves, such as China. But the Obama administration apparently will be committing an extra $45 million to the CDC's 2015 budget to help low-income countries participate in the network. The money will mainly go to improve surveillance systems, update diagnostic equipment, and train staff. Nothing in the text is unclear or confusing, the writer seems to know what he's talking about and explains it clearly. He is just explaining how the Global Health Security Agenda plans to help stop infectious diseases and bioterrorism.

Global Health Security Agenda plans to help stop infectious diseases around the world.

Colder Climate, Fatter Microbes In Gut

Tia Ghose, publisher from Live Science, describes how people who live in colder climates tend to have more of the gut microbes associated with obesity, a new study suggests. She writes how researchers have found that people living farther north, colder locales in general, tend to have more of the bacterial group called Firmicutes and fewer of the group Bacteriodes within their guts. Research has shown that people with more Firmicutes bacteria tend to be heavier, while people who are leaner have more Bacteriodes. This doesn't however directly tie with the person's BMI (body mass index), so it doesn't prove how bacterial gut composition affects obesity. Taichi Suzuki, a doctoral candidate in integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, say's this study has found an association, not a causal relationship, between gut bacteria and geography. "As a result, it's hard to say whether genetic differences, dietary changes, or some other mechanism is at play. Past work had suggested that people have adapted to colder climates by packing on extra pounds to act as insulation. For instance, some studies have found that Inuits tend to be heavier than African tribesmen." Suzuki said. The relationship between cold and weight isn't clear-cut, however. Spending time in the cold also increases caloric expenditure and that shivering triggers similar muscle responses as exercise. Suzuki and his colleagues looked at studies that describes the gut microbes of 1,020 people from 23 populations around the world, from Sweden to Malawi. Their finding of differences in gut bacteria doesn't appear only in humans. The studies showed that mice captured in northern parts of the United States tend to be heavier than their counterparts in Florida and also have obesity-linked microbes. Even though there is no direct correlation between climate and obesity, the studies suggest that certain gut microbes that only thrive in the cold have a link to being heavier. The author clearly explains the studies, and provides her opinion at the end of the article. She provides evidence given from Taichi Suzuki and also from past studies.

Bacteria Playing a Crucial Role in Fat Digestion

1,300 Microbe Species Found In Beijing Smog

Tony Barboza from the Los Angeles Times, reports that a new study has detected traces of more than 1,300 species of microbes in some of Beijing's most polluted air. Most of the detected microbes were just harmless bacteria that are usually found in soil. But they were also some traces of some bacteria and  fungi that have been know to cause allergies and respiratory diseases. Some of these pathogens were found in higher proportions collected on the smoggiest days. Ting Zhu, a biologist at Tsinghua University in Beijing, says "the purpose of the study was to add to our understanding of the microbes we inhale every day." The researchers then took measurements during a five-day episode of severe smog in Beijing in January 2013. The analysis focused on particulate matter, which included tiny particles known as PM2.5 which could burrow deep into the lungs and cause respiratory problems such as "Beijing cough" as well as lung and heart illnesses and premature deaths. Scientists used filters to collect particulate matter in the air, then extracted and sequenced the DNA in the samples to identify 1,315 microbial species, mostly bacteria. They also detected fungi and viruses, though in small numbers. Norman Pace, a microbiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, says "that the microbes were no health concern" also saying the smog itself was what was deadly. The author explains clearly what was found in Beijing smog and also explains how the researchers who were conducting this went about collecting air samples and discovering hundreds of microbe species. Nothing was unclear and the author remained unbiased.

Normal Beijing vs. Smog Covered Beijing

Intranasal vaccine protects mice against West Nile infection

This article explains how researchers have developed a nasal vaccine formulation that provides protective immunity against the West Nile virus infection in mice after only two doses. The researchers explain how only 2 vaccine doses provide a protective anti-WNV immunity. WNV is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause febrile illness, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). Even though the virus has been known to have been the cause of severe human disease for decades, it only appeared in the US in 1999. It has spread across the country, causing a reported 2,374 cases of infection in people, including 114 deaths in 2013 alone. Even though a vaccine has been made available for horses, there is no vaccine available for humans. The vaccine that is being used for mice is being prepared by mixing the antigen for HBV (hepatitis B virus) and adjuvant compounds in a water based (saline) solution. Researchers are now planning future studies in rabbits in order to continue developing the intranasal West Nile Virus vaccine. Rabbits have a nasal cavity size that is close to the size of the human nasal cavity and therefore an ideal model to further develop needle-free intranasal vaccines. This article comes across clearly. Even though the virus has been around for awhile, I am just learning about this now. It is clear that this is a dangerous disease that can cause severe illness and that vaccines are being made in order to prevent this disease. The author clearly explains the symptoms of the disease and how researchers have vaccines for horses and have just made vaccines for rats. He also clearly explains that they plan to research vaccines for rabbits because they have the same size nasal cavity as humans, which would be a future model. The only concept that was unclear was how is it that we are just learning about this virus? It has been apparently around for decades and just appeared in the US in 1999. The government needs to let the people know about this so that they can take precautions against the virus and hopefully not get infected. This was clearly unbiased, and the author is just simply stating the achievement this team of researchers have made into making a vaccine for rats against the West Nile Virus

Developments towards identifying impact of gut microbes

In this article on the Medical Xpress by Bob Yirka, he explains how a team of researchers at Washington School of Medicine has developed a method for identifying the impact that individual strains of microbes in the human gut have on the person housing them. Over the past few decades, scientists have come to realize that microbes in our guts play a far more important role in our lives than anyone might have thought of. Scientists know that microbes help ward off diseases and help digest our food, and they are also responsible for how much fat our bodies hold and for causing ailments such as colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Crohn's Disease. If scientists figure out how the impact of gut microbes work, they can cure such diseases. In order to do this, scientists inject gut microbes into mice and this causes the mice to gain weight. The author does a good job of explaining how gut microbes work and how it can help us. He also explains the process of testing the mice very clearly and notes that with more scientific research, certain diseases can be cured. Nothing in the text was unclear, it was all straightforward and explanatory. This article is clearly unbiased, the author is clearly just explaining how gut microbes work and how scientists are on a breakthrough to figuring out how to cure diseases with them.

http://sportsgeezer.com/wp-content/uploads/gut-microbes.jpg

Intro to Blogging

"The Microbe" scienceblogs.com

Yo, this Kashif. This course is an FLC about Microbes and English 102. I didn't really know this was an microbe class, I thought it was biology in general. English 102 is learning how to write an argument and how to respond to it.