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IMPACTT Newsletter | February 2022
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Welcome to our February 2022 newsletter. We have a lot of exciting announcements and upcoming events you won't want to miss out on, so let's dive in!
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IMPACTT TEAM & NETWORK NEWS
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IMPACTT/IMC Bioinformatics Workshop
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IMPACTT and the IMC are organizing an in-person bioinformatics workshop on May 30 - June 1, 2022 at the University of Calgary. This workshop will replace the Bioinformatics.ca Microbiome Analysis Workshop for 2022. Registration opens soon so keep your eye on our Twitter feed and website. Click here to learn more about the workshop and stay updated.
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Having IMPACTT 2: Advancing Microbiome Research Symposium
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IMPACTT Ethics Webinars
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Our most recent webinar was Thursday, 3 March 2022 on Translational Research Ethics. Thank you to everyone who attended! For details on future webinars and to watch on-demand versions of past webinars, click here.
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IMPACTT Gnotobiotic Workshop
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Space is now full for our hands-on gnotobiotic workshop on May 30-31, 2022 at the University of Calgary. If you would like to attend a future workshop, click here to learn more and subscribe to future updates.
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IMPACTT Mentorship Program
We are very pleased to announce our 2022-2023 IMPACTT mentorship cohort. Thank you to everyone who applied, and congratulations to our newest mentees! We look forward to seeing you at our symposium in June.
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Mentor: Dr. Morgan Langille, Associate Professor, Dalhousie University
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Mentee: Dr. Caitlin Simopoulos, Postdoctoral Associate, University of Ottawa
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Mentor: Dr. Celia Greenwood, Professor, McGill University
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Mentee: Dr. Andreanne Morin, Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Chicago
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Mentor: Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj, Professor, University of Alberta
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Mentee: Dr. Merilee Brockway, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Manitoba
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Mentor: Dr. William Hsiao, Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University
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Mentee: Dr. Kevin McGregor, Assistant Professor, York University
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
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New Publications in the Microbiome World
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Pettersen et al. (with Platform 2 Co-Lead Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta as senior author). Animal Microbiome. 22 Feb 2022.
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Highlights: Research into the gut mycobiome (the fungal microbiome) is still in its infancy. In this study, researchers performed mass spectrometry-based analyses of feces and the small intestine of gnotobiotic mice colonized with defined consortia of 12 bacterial species, 5 fungal species, or both. They found that fungal colonization resulted in changes in host proteins associated with innate immune function and metabolism, and confirmed that the 5 fungal species differentially impacted the host intestinal proteome compared to the bacterial consortium.
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Lithgow et al. (with Platform 4 Lead Dr. Laura Sycuro as senior author). npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. 21 Feb 2022.
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Highlights: The presence of Porphyromonas asaccharolytica and Porphyromonas uenonis in the vaginal microbiome is associated with adverse health outcomes, but the pathogenesis of these bacteria is largely unknown. In this study, researchers show that vaginal Porphyromonas spp. secrete broad-acting proteases within the cervigovaginal niche with a variety of virulence activities. This research highlights the potential for these bacteria to alter the homeostasis of reproductive tissues and harm pregnancy through clotting disruption, fetal membrane weakening, and premature cervical remodeling.
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Cantoni et al. eBioMedicine. 01 Feb 2022.
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Highlights: In this six-month longitudinal study, researchers characterized the gut microbiome composition and function, and immune cell and cytokine profiles of 24 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 25 healthy controls. They found a number of gut microbes that decreased in relative abundance in MS patients compared to healthy controls, as well as microbes that were either positively or negatively correlated with degree of disability in MS patients. They also found that MS patients exhibited disruptions in their blood metabolome, and linked meat intake with increased circulating proinflammatory markers. The microbiome and metabolome profiles remained stable over the course of the study in both MS patients and healthy controls.
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New Publications from our IMPACTT Team and Network
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Dr. Andre Marette (CMI2 Team Grant Lead)
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Abachi et al. Food and Bioprocess Technology. 04 Mar 2022.
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Hokmabadinazhad et al. Food Bioscience. 25 Feb 2022.
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Dr. Vanessa Poliquin (CMI2 Team Grant Lead)
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Rosenthal & Poliquin. Canada Communicable Disease Report. Feb/Mar 2022.
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Dr. John Conly (IMPACTT Co-Applicant)
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Johnson et al. Scientific Reports. 3 Mar 2022.
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PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT
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The newest publication by Dr. Karen Lithgow (lead author and Postdoctoral Scholar) and Dr. Laura Sycuro (Principal Investigator and Platform 4 Lead) was featured in an article by the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine and a blog post in the Nature Portfolio Microbiology Community.
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND REMINDERS
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Click here to see a curated list of upcoming events in the microbiome world.
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CALL FOR PAPERS
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Be a contributor to our microbiome community!
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