Researchers got a first look at microbes that inhabit the colonic mucosa. Pictured, from left, University of Illinois animal sciences and Institute for Genomics Biology professor Rex Gaskins, animal sciences visiting research specialist Ann Benefiel, Carle Foundation Hospital gastroenterologist Dr. Eugene Greenberg, and postdoctoral researcher Franck Carbonero.
CHAMPAIGN, lll. They make up less than one-hundredth of 1 percent of the microbes that live in the colon, but the bacteria and archaea that sop up hydrogen in the gut are fundamental to colon health. In a new study, researchers take a first look at these "hydrogenotrophic" microbes, mapping where they live and how abundant they are in different parts of the lower intestine. The findings are reported in the International Society for Microbial Ecology Journal. This is the first study to sample these - or any other - microbes at specific locales in the colon, said University of Illinois animal sciences and Institute for Genomic Biology professor Rex Gaskins, who led the research with Carle Foundation gastroenterologist Eugene Greenberg. These organisms are particularly difficult to get at because they inhabit a thick layer of protective mucous that lines the colon. Previous studies looked only at microbes passed in stool, Gaskins said.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
