“The world around us is a gigantic reservoir of potential microbial partners. Every mouthful could bring in new microbes that digest a previously unbreakable part of our meals, or that detoxify the poisons in a previously inedible food, or that… — Ed Yong Copy Share Image
“Humans don't need to evolve a gene that can break down the carbohydrates in seaweed; if we swallow enough microbes that can digest these substances there's every chance that our own bacteria will 'learn' the trick through HGT.” — Ed Yong Copy Share Image
“Drinking lots of alcohol makes the gut leakier, allowing microbes to more readily influence the brain. Could that help to explain why alcoholics often… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“No, the algae were making something that killed the corals via their own microbes. That something turned out to be dissolved organic carbon (DOC);… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“Patterson died in 2014 but Mazmanian is now carrying on his friend's work. His long-term goal is to develop a bacterium that people can… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“Mucus is made from giant molecules called mucins, each consisting of a central protein backbone with thousands of sugar molecules branching off it. These… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“The Earth is 4.54 billion years old. A span of time that big is too mind-boggling to comprehend, so let’s collapse the planet’s entire… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“Many of the plants that the spider mite targets can release hydrogen cyanide when their tissues are breached. This substance is extraordinarily inimical to… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“When microbiologists first started cataloguing the human microbiome in its entirety they hoped to discover a "core" microbiome: a group of species that everyone… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“Most animals can't tap into these open-source adaptations deliberately. The flies didn't seek out Spiroplasma to solve their worm problem. Woodrats didn't go looking… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“The variations that exist between the body parts dwarf those that exist between people. Put simply, the bacteria on your forearm are more similar… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“It earns its keep. As it digests HMOs, B. infantis releases short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that feed an infant's gut cells - so while… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“When Hamiltonella's genome was sequenced, the real reason behind the bacterium's protective powers became apparent: about half of its DNA actually belonged to a… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“For one group of wasps, the braconids, transferred genes have enabled a bizarre form of pest control. The females of these wasps lay their… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“Our darkest fiction is full of Orwellian dystopias, shadowy cabals, and mind-controlling supervillains. But it turns out that the brainless, microscopic, single-celled organisms that… — Ed Yong Copy Share
“The world around us is a gigantic reservoir of potential microbial partners. Every mouthful could bring in new microbes that digest a previously unbreakable… — Ed Yong Copy Share
