IMPACTT Newsletter | August 2021

Dear reader,

In this Newsletter, you will discover some of the great news our network of microbiome researchers received this past month. From fundings to meaningful findings that led to publications, our microbiome experts are generating new knowledge that will help harness the power of our microbes to improve and manage our Health. August has been a good month!

Happy Discovery.

NEWSROOM

Dr. Hsiao W., bioinformatics expert received part of the $1.6 million invested by the Canada Foundation for innovation's John R. Edwards Leadership Fund to enhance infrastructure and strengthen investigations in research.

Dr. Duan Q., supporting expert of our Cohort Study & Analysis platform the received part of the $8.6 million Spring 2021 Project Grant Competition awarded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) to advance her research on understanding the early determinants of lung function and asthma.

As we are racing against a viral pandemic, let's not forget another vital race against AMR! UCalgary OneHealth program is offering a webinar series to provide insights into approaches used to address AMR for sustainable development of control strategies. With the participation of Dr. Harrison J., lead expert of the Alberta Microbiota Repository and IMPACTT Biorepositories platform. Sept. 14 to Dec. 7, 2021.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Journal of Proteome Research Special Issue on Metabolomics Research, an ACS journal, deadline October 1, 2021. Scope includes: Microbiome-host metabolism and disease, COVID-19 related work and other infectious disease phenomics, and more.

Cells is calling for papers for a special issue on Interplay of Gene Expression Regulation and Microbiome. Deadline: 30 Nov. 2021.

Microbial Pathogenesis (YMPAT), Current Research in Microbial Sciences (CRMICR) and Current Research in Immunology (CRIMMU) are organizing a special collection called Advances in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Immunity. Deadline: 31 Dec 2021.

MDPI is planning a special edition on Probiotics, Prebiotics and Postbiotics in Human Health. Deadline: 31 March 2022. Topic editors include Dr. Leyuan Li, IMPACTT mentee.

ON THE RESEARCH SIDE

Studies

#EntericParasite #CohortStudy #GutMicrobialEcology

Exposure to Parasitic Protists and Helminths Changes the Intestinal Community Structure of Bacterial Communities in a Cohort of Mother-Child Binomials from a Semirural Setting in Mexico. Partida-Rodriguez O, et al. mSphere. 2021 Aug 25. In this international cohort study, co-led by Drs. Arrieta M.C*, Ximenez C. and Finlay B., the authors studied the relationship between the presence of enteric parasites and the community structures of gut bacteria and eukaryotes in asymptomatic mother-child from a semirural community in Mexico. they found that the presence of parasitic eukaryotes correlated with changes in the bacterial gut community structure in the intestinal microbiota in an age-dependent manner. *Dr. Arrieta, co-leads of the IMPACTT Cohort Study and Analysis Platform.

#Antibiotics #FMT

Intraspecies strain exclusion, antibiotic pretreatment, and donor selection control microbiota engraftment after fecal transplantation. Daniel Podlesny, et al. Medrxiv. 2021 Aug 22. The authors, that include Dr. Walter J.* assembled the most comprehensive FMT trial microbiota dataset in the context of GI diseases to date. Their study provides "an ecological framework for post-FMT microbiota assembly that can predict donor strain engraftment and determine its importance for clinical outcomes, informing more targeted and personalized approaches to increase the therapeutic benefits of FMTs". *Dr. Walter J., supporting expert of the IMPACTT Biorepositories Platform.

#VaginalMicrobiome #MicrobialEcology

Characterization of an α-Glucosidase Enzyme Conserved in Gardnerella spp. Isolated from the Human Vaginal Microbiome. Bhandari P, et al. J Bacteriol. 2021 Aug 9. In this study led by Dr. Hill J.* the authors demonstrate that Gardnerella spp. produce an enzyme that may contribute to glycogen metabolism involved in nutrients competition that may play a role in determining the vaginal microbial community structure. *Dr. Hills J. is a supporting expert of the IMPACTT OMICS Platform.

#Diet #BacterialInfection #Immunity #MouseStudy

Fasting increases microbiome-based colonization resistance and reduces host inflammatory responses during an enteric bacterial infection. Graef FA, et al. PLoS Pathog. 2021 Aug 5. In this collaborative study led by Dr. Vallance B.*, the authors found that in gnotobiotic mice, fasting downregulated pro-inflammatory signaling of the pathogen Salmonella Typhimumium, reducing intestinal pathology. Their results demonstrate how food intake modulates the relationship between host, pathogen and gut microbiota during an enteric infection.*Dr. Vallance B., CIHR CMI2 Team Lead.

Reviews

#GutMicrobiota #CeliacDisease #MicrobialTherapy

Co-factors, microbes and immunogenetics in celiac disease to guide novel approaches for diagnosis and treatment. Verdu EF*, Schuppan D. Gastroenterology. 2021 Aug 17. In this review, the authors provide an overview of the current knowledge of the cofactors working in synergism with key Celiac Disease (CeD) triggers that result in a better understanding of CeD pathogenesis. Notably, they discuss novel therapies in phase 2-3 clinical studies as well as adjunctive and preventive approaches using beneficial probiotics and micronutrients and how these could help support personalized therapy of CeD. *Dr. Verdú E., IMPACTT Mentor.

#EarlyLifeMicrobiome #Pregnancy

The Role of Mom’s Microbes During Pregnancy. Thomson C.A. & McCoy K.D*. TheScientist. 2021 Aug. 1. In this featured article, the authors present the recent discoveries that have shaken the dogma that microbe-mediated immune education was initiated when a newborn baby leaves the relatively sterile environment of the uterus and is seeded with its mother’s microbes. They provide an overview of the findings that demonstrate the maternal microbiome can exert its influence on newborn microbe-mediated immune education at the very early onset of life, the gestating fetus. *Dr. McCoy K.D. is the Director of IMPACTT.

#MetabolicDiseases #Diabetes #ClinicalStudies

Micronutrients impact the gut microbiota and blood glucose. Barra NG, et al. J Endocrinol. 2021 Jul 28. In this review led by Dr. Schertzer*, the authors demonstrate that dietary micronutrients should be considered, tested, and controlled in pre-clinical and clinical studies investigating host-microbe factors in metabolic diseases. *Dr. Schertzer, CIHR CMI2 Team Grant member.

New Methodologies

#MouseModel

Murine colonization model by Campylobacter coli DSPV458. Ruiz MJ, et al. J Appl Microbiol. 2021 Aug 31. The authors developed a new mouse model of the animal and human pathogen C. coli.

#LongitudinalStudy #Bioinformatics

BiomeHorizon: visualizing microbiome time series data in R. The authors developed a method to visualize the proportional and absolute change in the abundance of multiple taxa across multiple subjects over time using horizon plots. Fink I, et al. BioRxiv. 2021 Aug 31 (preprint).

#LungModel #4D

AngioPlate - Biofabrication of perfusable complex tissues in multi-well plates with 4D subtractive manufacturing. Rajasekar S., et al. biorxiv. 2021 Aug 15 (Preprint). In this multidisciplinary work, the authors* developed AngioPlate, a technique to fabricate organ-specific vascular networks, vascularized kidney proximal tubules, and terminal lung alveoli in 24-well plates. This will help advance research in lung conditions like COVID-19, cystic fibrosis and allergens for asthma and air pollution. Press release. *Includes Dr. Hirota J.A., CIHR CMI2 Team Grant member.

#GutMicrobiota #Bacteria #Virus #LiveMicroscopy

Intestinal organoid cocultures with microbes. Puschhof J, et al. Nat Protoc. 2021 Aug 11.

The authors provide detailed protocols for characterizing the coculture with regard to bacterial and organoid cell viability and growth kinetics.

UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST

Remember to SAVE THE DATE for our next #HavingIMPACTT2022 symposium from June 2 to 3, 2022!

Click here to see the updated list of events

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