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Scientific American
08-07-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
Most U.S. Babies Are Deficient in Key Gut Microbes Essential for Their Health
Dirty diapers are more than a messy reality of infant care—baby poop can be an indicator of an infant's gut microbiome and future health. Scientists recently published the first two years of data from My Baby Biome, a seven-year research project that represents one of the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. infant microbiome studies to date. The findings, which came out in Communications Biology in June, are concerning: more than 75 percent of the babies in the study were deficient in key gut bacteria that are associated with a healthy microbiome. Nearly all the infants displayed deficiencies in gut microbes of some kind. These deficiencies led to a significantly increased risk of those children developing allergies, asthma or eczema, according to the study. 'Three-quarters of babies are at heightened risk of atopic conditions because of the composition of their microbiome,' says Stephanie Culler, senior author of the new study. 'That, for us, was the really big alarm.' Culler is CEO of Persephone Biosciences, a biotech company in San Diego, Calif., that runs the My Baby Biome project and funded the research. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. A healthy infant gut microbiome is critical for immune development, and an abnormal microbiome puts babies at a higher risk of being diagnosed with certain autoimmune disorders such as asthma and type 1 diabetes. But a lack of robust data on infant microbiomes in the U.S. has held back researchers. Culler and her colleagues used social media and word of mouth to recruit the families of 412 infants to take part in the study. The children came from 48 states and were representative of U.S. demographic diversity. To identify the types of microbial species that were present, the team analyzed bacterial DNA in stool samples that were collected when the children were infants, and, for 150 of them, additional samples from when they were one-year-olds. They also measured other molecules in the samples that gave clues about microbial activity in the children's gut. Additionally, about half of the participating families gave follow-up information about health outcomes when the children were two years old. Based on the results, only 24 percent of infants had a healthy microbiome. The rest were deficient in Bifidobacterium —a crucial group of bacteria associated with a lower risk of a host of noncommunicable diseases. A quarter of infants lacked any detectable level of Bifidobacterium at all. In Bifidobacterium -deficient children, the researchers also detected higher levels of potentially harmful microorganisms, bacteria with antimicrobial-resistance genes and molecules that pathogens use to cause disease. As two-year-olds, those children had a three times greater risk of developing allergies, asthma or eczema compared with those with a healthy microbiome. The researchers did not find any demographic or socioeconomic trends that could explain why certain children had a deficient microbiome or went on to develop a health condition, suggesting that these outcomes could affect 'basically any baby,' Culler says. The team did find that breastfeeding was associated with a greater concentration of Bifidobacterium in children who were vaginally birthed. But the data showed that the combination of vaginal birth and breastfeeding was still not sufficient to ensure a healthy microbiome because many of these children went on to develop chronic disease, Culler says. Researchers in other countries have reported similarly alarming findings. Last year, for example, scientists in the U.K. found Bifidobacterium species in very low abundance in the gut microbiomes of around one-third of 1,288 infants they tested. Those infants' microbiome was instead dominated by Enterococcus faecalis, a species associated with antibiotic resistance and negative health outcomes. The recent U.S. study supports previous research that established the relationship between Bifidobacterium in infancy and health, says Willem de Vos, an emeritus professor of human microbiomics at the University of Helsinki, who was not involved in the new work. De Vos and his colleagues' 2024 study of 1,000 infants in Finland also suggests that Bifidobacterium species play key roles in intestinal microbiota development—and that the presence of these species is associated with positive health outcomes in children for at least five years. But the new U.S. study adds an important nuance: it revealed that a particular species of Bifidobacterium — Bifidobacterium breve —was associated with a decreased risk of disease in two-year-olds, whereas another related species, Bifidobacterium longum, did not seem to play a role in reducing that risk. These findings 'are highly interesting and important,' de Vos says. Erin Davis, a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric allergy and immunology at the University of Rochester, who was also not involved in the new work, agrees that the species-related findings are striking. 'What was unexpected was how different infant Bifidobacterium species differentially impacted relative risk of adverse health outcomes,' she says. What is driving the changes in babies' gut microbiome is unknown. But comparisons of infant microbiomes from industrialized and nonindustrialized communities, such as Old Order Mennonites, suggest that various features of modern living are likely to blame. Such factors could include the overuse of antibiotics, the oversanitization of the environment, a reduction in breastfeeding, a lack of physical contact with other babies, adult humans and animals, and more, says Matthew Olm, an assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder, who was not involved in the new study. 'Bifidobacteriathrives on breast milk, and it's conceivable that when only 20 percent of mothers breastfed in the 1970s, it caused a population-level decrease that we're still living with today,' Olm says. 'Even though more than 80 percent of infants are breastfed today, there may just be less bifidobacteria in the environment to colonize these babies.'
Scientific American
30-06-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
Serenading Cells with Audible Sound Alters Gene Activity
The cells in your ears aren't the only ones listening: recent research suggests that crucial cells throughout the body may respond to audible sound. Experiments described in Communications Biology revealed more than 100 genes whose activity changed in response to these acoustic waves, pointing to possible medical applications. Extensive earlier research has shown that ultrasound—sound at frequencies higher than humans can hear— can affect biology in numerous ways; the new study expands this concept to audible sounds that require no special equipment to produce. Kyoto University biologist Masahiro Kumeta and his colleagues bathed cultured mouse myoblast cells (precursors to muscle tissue) in sound, directly transmitting a low frequency (440 hertz, the A above middle C), a high frequency (14 kilohertz, approaching the top of the perceptible range for humans), or white noise (which contains all audible frequencies) to the culture dishes for either two or 24 hours. The team analyzed the effect these sound waves had on the mouse cells through RNA sequencing, which measures gene activity. The scientists found that activity in 42 genes changed after two hours, and 145 responded after 24 hours. Most showed increased activity, but some were suppressed. 'It's a very extensive, thorough study,' says Lidan You, an engineer at Queen's University in Ontario, who studies how bone cells translate mechanical stimuli into biological signals. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Many of the affected genes have roles in key processes such as cell adhesion and migration, which are known to respond to mechanical forces. The researchers found that sound expanded the size of the sites where cells attached to surrounding tissues, most likely by activating an enzyme called focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which senses mechanical forces and helps to guide tissue development. Sound waves seem to deform molecules in a way that provides easier access for a chemical switch that activates FAK, which in turn influences a chain of other genes' activity. The team also found a strong reaction in fat-cell precursors called preadipocytes: sound suppressed their differentiation into mature fat cells, thereby reducing fat accumulation by 13 to 15 percent. Audible sound is noninvasive and probably safer than drugs, Kumeta says. Although it can't be tightly focused like ultrasound, it is easy to produce and could be useful for bathing large regions of the body in sonic waves. Kumeta and his colleagues have already begun studying such interventions to suppress the development of fat tissue in living mice—and humans could be next, he says: 'If it works well in mice I think this could be achieved in five or 10 years.' Other potential applications include enhancing regenerative medicine and combating cancer growth. 'The next step [could be] using not only human cells but human organoids that model diseases,' You says, 'then moving to clinical studies.'
Gulf Insider
08-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Caffeine Keeps Your Brain 'Awake' Even While You Sleep, Study Finds
Caffeine isn't just in your morning coffee. It's also in tea, chocolate, energy drinks, and many popular soft drinks, making it one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances around the globe. Now, new research from the University of Montreal reveals how caffeine might be doing more than just keeping you awake. In a study published in Communications Biology , scientists discovered that caffeine can actually change how the brain recovers overnight, affecting both physical restoration and cognitive function. Leading the study was Philipp Thölke, a research trainee at UdeM's Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (CoCo Lab), alongside Karim Jerbi, a psychology professor and researcher at Mila, the Quebec AI Institute. Partnering with sleep and aging expert Julie Carrier and her team at UdeM's Centre for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, the researchers used artificial intelligence and electroencephalography (EEG) to dig deeper into caffeine's surprising effects on sleep. They showed for the first time that caffeine increases the complexity of brain signals and enhances brain 'criticality' during sleep. Interestingly, this was more pronounced in younger adults. 'Criticality describes a state of the brain that is balanced between order and chaos,' said Jerbi. 'It's like an orchestra: too quiet and nothing happens, too chaotic and there's cacophony. Criticality is the happy medium where brain activity is both organized and flexible. In this state, the brain functions optimally: it can process information efficiently, adapt quickly, learn, and make decisions with agility.' Added Carrier: 'Caffeine stimulates the brain and pushes it into a state of criticality, where it is more awake, alert, and reactive. While this is useful during the day for concentration, this state could interfere with rest at night: the brain would neither relax nor recover properly.' To study how caffeine affects the sleeping brain, Carrier's team recorded the nocturnal brain activity of 40 healthy adults using an electroencephalogram. They compared each participant's brain activity on two separate nights — one when they consumed caffeine capsules three hours and then one hour before bedtime, and another when they took a placebo at the same times. 'We used advanced statistical analysis and artificial intelligence to identify subtle changes in neuronal activity,' said Thölke, the study's first author. 'The results showed that caffeine increased the complexity of brain signals, reflecting more dynamic and less predictable neuronal activity, especially during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase of sleep that's crucial for memory consolidation and cognitive recovery.' The researchers also discovered striking changes in the brain's electrical rhythms during sleep: caffeine attenuated slower oscillations such as theta and alpha waves, generally associated with deep, restorative sleep, and stimulated beta wave activity, which is more common during wakefulness and mental engagement. 'These changes suggest that even during sleep, the brain remains in a more activated, less restorative state under the influence of caffeine,' says Jerbi, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroimaging. 'This change in the brain's rhythmic activity may help explain why caffeine affects the efficiency with which the brain recovers during the night, with potential consequences for memory processing.' The study also showed that the effects of caffeine on brain dynamics were significantly more pronounced in young adults between the ages of 20 and 27 compared to middle-aged participants aged 41 to 58, especially during REM sleep, the phase associated with dreaming. Young adults showed a greater response to caffeine, likely due to a higher density of adenosine receptors in their brains. Adenosine is a molecule that gradually accumulates in the brain throughout the day, causing a feeling of fatigue. 'Adenosine receptors naturally decrease with age, reducing caffeine's ability to block them and improve brain complexity, which may partly explain the reduced effect of caffeine observed in middle-aged participants,' Carrier said. And these age-related differences suggest that younger brains may be more susceptible to the stimulant effects of caffeine. Given caffeine's widespread use around the world, especially as a daily remedy for fatigue, the researchers stress the importance of understanding its complex effects on brain activity across different age groups and health conditions. They add that further research is needed to clarify how these neural changes affect cognitive health and daily functioning, and to potentially guide personalized recommendations for caffeine intake.
CairoScene
25-05-2025
- Science
- CairoScene
Oldest Known Use of Harmal Unearthed in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Region
Harmal residue discovered in a 2,700-year-old tomb offers rare insight into Iron Age Arabian culture. A new study published in Communications Biology has revealed the earliest known use of the harmal plant (Peganum harmala) in the Arabian Peninsula, dating back approximately 2,700 years. The discovery was made at the ancient Midianite site of Qurayyah in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk region, where archaeologists recovered charred remains of the plant from a burial context. Led by Saudi Arabia's Heritage Commission in collaboration with Germany's Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of Vienna, the research team used advanced chemical analysis—including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry—to detect alkaloids specific to Peganum harmala. The plant, widely known for its psychoactive and antibacterial properties, has long been used in traditional healing and rituals across the Middle East. The presence of harmal in an Iron Age tomb suggests that it served both medicinal and ceremonial functions, pointing to a complex understanding of botanical pharmacology in ancient Arabia. The study not only provides rare physical evidence of plant-based medicine from the Iron Age, but also adds to emerging research that links cultural practice with early scientific knowledge in the region.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists elated after making game-changing discovery that could transform how we grow food: 'I was really excited'
A tiny molecule could be the next big breakthrough in helping farmers grow more resilient, productive crops in an increasingly unpredictable climate. Japanese scientists recently identified a new class of small molecules called devernalizers capable of delaying crop flowering. By manipulating these molecules, scientists hope they can fine-tune a plant's life cycle to better align with changing environmental conditions. As pollution-driven climate shifts become more severe, the agricultural sector has struggled to adapt to rising global temperatures and frequent extreme weather events. That's because plants are on nature's timing, so any shifts in seasonal patterns can throw off their growth cycles. Scientists have been looking for solutions to make plants more resilient to climate shifts, and they may be closer than ever. Flowering marks when a plant shifts energy from leafy growth to seed production. While this is crucial for producing fruits and grains, it can cause leafy vegetables, such as spinach and lettuce, to lose nutritional value. Once these plants flower, they begin to die, so premature flowering can spell disaster for greens. Typically, plants need a spell of cold weather to trigger flowering, a process known as vernalization. But as these cues become less reliable due to climate change, plants may flower too early, reducing yields and nutritional quality. Reversing that process, called devernalization, has been difficult — until now. In the new research, published in Communications Biology, scientists screened more than 16,000 chemical compounds, discovering five devernalizers that reactivated the gene responsible for suppressing flowering. They also identified a sixth compound, called DVR06, which is structurally simpler than the others and enables more precise control over flowering. Experimental results showed that plants treated with DVR06 exhibited delayed flowering without hurting the plant, something current heat-based methods struggle with. "Applying heat treatment to plants in the field is both labor-intensive and costly," team lead Makoto Shirakawa, an assistant professor at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, said in a release. "So, I was really excited when we found out that DVR06 had a more specific effect than heat treatment. This was the moment when all the time we had spent on screening finally paid off." The researchers say their discovery could be a critical breakthrough for agriculture by allowing scientists to fine-tune when crops flower, which can help boost healthy yields by undoing some of the damage of unseasonable weather. The team plans to conduct further research exploring devernalization technologies to support "stable food production under a fluctuating global environment," according to the release. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
