microbiome
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Here’s a video of Doom running on gut bacteria, proving you really can play the game on anything
An MIT researcher has gotten the 30-year-old computer game Doom running on actual gut bacteria. The frame rate is really bad, as the game would take nearly 600 years to beat.
Scientists discover weird virus-like 'obelisks' in the human gut and mouth
Scientists have discovered mysterious virus-like ‘obelisks’ in the human gut and mouth. These tiny structures fall into the viroid class and seem to hang out inside of certain strains of bacteria, though not always.
Scientists have successfully engineered bacteria to fight cancer in mice
Researchers at Stanford Medicine have made a promising discovery that could lead to new cancer treatments in the future. Scientists conducted tests in which they altered the genomes of skin-based microbes and bacteria to fight cancer. These altered microbes were swabbed onto cancer-stricken mice and tumors began to dissipate.
'Borderlands 3' rewards you for aiding human gut research
You might just nudge scientific progress forward the next time you play Borderlands 3. Gearbox has introduced a Borderlands Science mini-game that will help scientists map the human gut’s microbiome in return for rewards.
Microbiome testing startup faces FBI investigation over billing
Another lab testing startup is facing legal scrutiny, albeit not for the same reasons as Theranos. The Wall Street Journal has learned that the FBI is investigating uBiome, a firm that tests microbiomes (the communities of organisms in your body) to inform your health decisions, over its "billing practices." Agents reportedly conducted a search of uBiome's offices on April 26th, with the FBI confirming that it had visited the address.
Recommended Reading: Trust your gut
Is Your Gut Microbiome the Key to Health and Happiness? Amy Fleming, The Guardian You've likely heard the phrase "trust your gut" at some point in your life, but the key to being healthy and happy could actually lie in all of those organisms in your digestive system. The Guardian lays out the case for how influential your gut really is and discusses the act of "poop doping." Yes, that's a thing.
Researchers show you can be uniquely identified by your bacteria
The bacteria on and inside of your body, also known as your microbiome, could be another sort of fingerprint to identify you, according to new research out of Harvard. Researchers found that your bacterial buddies have enough unique features to be traced right back to you -- at least, when compared to hundreds of other people. Using data from the Human Microbiome Project, they applied an algorithm that identified the distinguishing features of microbiomes, and they were subsequently able to identify who they came from based on followup visits. The bacterial fingerprints were stable in people for over a year, and testing of gut microbiomes managed to accurately identify people 80 percent of the time. There's still plenty of testing to be done, naturally, but the findings show that researchers might want to be extra careful when dealing with microbiome data moving forward. Otherwise someone participating in a gut bacteria test could, for example, be outed as having a particularly embarrassing STD.
