“The microbiome may vary from day to day, from sunrise to sunset, or even from meal to meal, but such variations are small compared to the early changes. This dynamism of the adult microbiome conceals a background of constancy.” — 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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
“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 Image
