Our intestine is inhabited by a large and diverse community of microbes, collectively referred to as the gut microbiota, composed of more than a thousand different species. We (the host) and our microbiota coexist for better or worse. On one hand, maintaining a healthy relationship... click to read more

There is a microscopic society living within us. Our bodies are home to more than 100 trillion microorganisms, similar to the number of human cells in the body. Many of them reside in our gut. Most of the time, this microsociety - which includes hundreds... click to read more

As scientists, we often think of bacteria as free-swimming, lone cells, growing in test tubes. Indeed, the majority of experiments are performed in this kind of environment. However, in reality, bacteria often grow in groups of cells, attached to surfaces. These cellular communities are social;... click to read more

The American reality show "The Biggest Loser" features obese contestants that are competing for the strongest weight loss within the duration of one season of the TV series, which is rewarded with a cash prize. A wide audience has followed the show, and its concept... click to read more

The trillions of microbes that live in our gastrointestinal tract are known as the gut microbiome. It is an "acquired organ" of the body that is essential for the development of immune and metabolic systems and for nutrient digestion and absorption, among other things. As... click to read more

Living means consuming resources, we buy food to get fed, clothes to stay warm and burn oil and coal to have energy. Where things are consumed waste is produced. However, this waste does not simply disappear but mountains of trash form, plastic covers the ocean... click to read more

By combining two or more drugs together (synergistic drug approach) it is possible to obtain a greater effect than with an individual drug alone. For example, the treatment of many diseases, ranging from cancer to tuberculosis to chronic diseases, depends on the use of three... click to read more

Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that causes hundreds of thousands of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea cases every year, and these infections often prove fatal. Usually, C. difficile is unable to cause disease as the bacterium is kept in check by the friendly bacteria in the gut; the... click to read more

What constitutes a human body? What is it that makes your body, your own? If we begin to break it down, you can easily see that your body is covered with a layer of hair and skin. Beneath that lie your circulatory systems, bones and... click to read more

Each of us carries intestinal gardens, where microbes process food for our own consumption. We evolved to benefit from this, but as our guests are selfish single-cell creatures, tense diplomacy was always needed. Since these bacterial communities in our gut play surprisingly large roles in... click to read more

Ours is a world dominated by microbes. Diverse microbial communities colonize just about any available space, even deep within our bodies' cavities. Remarkably, every human being carries as many bacterial as human cells, leading us to question the very meaning of what constitutes a human.... click to read more

The fungal skin disease "Chytridiomycosis" is an important cause for amphibian diversity loss. This particular disease is emblematic for human mediated spread of pathogens from their native into new ranges, with the potential to extirpate the newly invaded host populations. The Asian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium... click to read more