Microbiology

Scientific illustration depicting gut bacteria eroding the colon's mucus layer, causing dry stool and constipation, based on Nagoya University research.

Nagoya University study links chronic constipation to mucus-degrading gut bacteria, suggests new treatment target

February 19, 2026 Reported by AI Image generated by AI Fact checked

Researchers at Nagoya University report that two common gut microbes can work together to break down the colon’s protective mucus layer, leaving stool dry and difficult to pass—an effect that standard laxatives may not address. The team also found higher levels of these bacteria in people with Parkinson’s disease, who often experience constipation decades before motor symptoms, and showed in mice that disabling a key bacterial enzyme prevented constipation.

Scientists reveal sourdough fermentation's impact on wheat fibers

Researchers at Vrije Universiteit Brussel have found that sourdough fermentation activates enzymes in wheat to break down arabinoxylans, influencing bread texture, digestibility and flavor. The study highlights how acidity drives this process more than microbes. Specific bacteria contribute to distinctive tastes like buttery aromas.

MIT researchers identify gut lectin intelectin-2 that strengthens mucus and targets bacteria

March 15, 2026 Reported by AI Fact checked

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that intelectin-2, a carbohydrate-binding lectin found in the gastrointestinal tract, can both crosslink mucus components to reinforce the gut’s protective barrier and bind certain bacteria, restricting their growth and reducing viability—findings that may inform future approaches to drug-resistant infections and inflammatory bowel disease.

Health

Ancient bacterium in Romanian ice cave resists modern antibiotics

Science

Scientists identify oxygen-using Asgard archaea as complex life's ancestor

Science

Symbiotic bacteria in insects have smallest known genomes

Ancient microbes may have used oxygen 500 million years early

Researchers at MIT have found evidence that some early life forms began using oxygen hundreds of millions of years before it accumulated in Earth's atmosphere. The study traces a key oxygen-processing enzyme to the Mesoarchean era, suggesting microbes consumed oxygen produced by cyanobacteria. This discovery challenges previous understandings of aerobic respiration's timeline.

Global study highlights ‘hidden’ gut bacteria CAG-170 as a potential marker of health

February 14, 2026 Reported by AI Fact checked

Researchers led by the University of Cambridge report that an uncultured group of gut bacteria known as CAG-170 appears more abundant in healthy people and is less common in several chronic diseases, based on analysis of more than 11,000 gut metagenomes from 39 countries.

Microbes could transform Martian soil into building material

Researchers propose using two resilient Earth microbes to create concrete-like structures from Martian regolith, potentially aiding human settlements on the Red Planet. This approach leverages biomineralization to produce building materials and oxygen on-site. The method draws from natural processes and aims to support sustainable habitats through in situ resource utilization.

Study finds 168 common chemicals can inhibit beneficial gut bacteria in lab tests

January 05, 2026 Reported by AI Fact checked

Researchers at the University of Cambridge report that 168 widely used industrial and agricultural chemicals slowed or stopped the growth of bacteria commonly found in a healthy human gut in laboratory experiments, raising questions about whether routine chemical exposure could affect the microbiome and, in some cases, antibiotic resistance.

March 13, 2026 20:18