Biofilm formation and toxin production are some of the virulence factors of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), which causes hospital-acquired C. difficile infection (HA-CDI). This work investigated the prevalence and distribution of different strains recovered from HA-CDI patients hospitalized …

Scientific Reports - Virulence factors, antibiotic susceptibility and sequence type distribution of hospital-associated Clostridioides difficile isolates in Israel, 2020–2022

Nature - Testosterone treatment boosts levels of an inflammatory protein to those typically seen in cis men, study finds.

IMMUNE INSIGHTS - Researchers have uncovered how hormones profoundly affect our immune systems, explaining why men and women are affected by diseases differently.

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis in the human gastrointestinal tract. Numerous studies have shown a strong

Scientific Reports - Investigation of risk factors for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis among patients with COVID-19

Bile acids (BAs) play a crucial role in the human body's defense against infections caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses. BAs counteract infections not only through interactions with intestinal bacteria exhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity but they also directly combat infections. Buildin …

Aberrant preterm infant gut microbiota assembly predisposes to early-life disorders and persistent health problems. Here, we characterize gut microbiome dynamics over the first 3 months of life in 236 preterm infants hospitalized in three neonatal intensive care units using shotgun metagenomics of 2 …

Clostridioides difficile is a pathogen whose transmission relies on the formation of dormant endospores. Spores are highly resilient forms of bacteria that resist environmental and chemical insults. In recent work, we found that C. difficile SspA and SspB, two small acid-soluble proteins (SASPs), pr …

This study demonstrated the potential association between baseline frailty and CDI risk and health outcomes, as well as new-onset frailty diagnoses in patients who develop CDI.

The human gut pathogen Clostridioides difficile displays substantial inter-strain genetic variability and confronts a changeable nutrient landscape in the gut. We examined how human gut microbiota inter-species interactions influence the growth and toxin production of various C. difficile strains ac …

New research into Parkinson's disease is strengthening the connection between an unhealthy gut and brain disorders.

npj Biofilms and Microbiomes - Spaceflight alters host-gut microbiota interactions

“What is so exciting—and so challenging—about being a postdoc is that you’re called to take what you know and apply it to a new problem,” said Damon Runyon Fellow Georgia R. Squyres, PhD. “When you’re stepping out into open space like that, it’s important to feel that you have a net of support under you. The Damon Runyon Fellowship lets us take that leap.”

Researchers have identified two distinct mechanisms of drug resistance in C. difficile, but its ability to withstand antibiotics comes with downsides for the bacteria.

Helicobacter pylori infection has significant epidemiological relevance due to the carcinogenic nature of this bacterium, which is potentially associated with cancer. When detected, it should ideally be eradicated using a treatment that currently involves a combination of gastric acid suppres …

The gut pathogen Clostridioides difficile utilizes a wide range of carbon sources. Microbial communities can be rationally designed to combat C. difficile by depleting its preferred nutrients in the gut. However, C. difficile is genetically diverse with hundreds of identified ri …

The Clostridia produce and secrete Large Clostridial Glucosylating Toxins (LCGTs) responsible for disease symptoms, but the secretion mechanism is largely unknown. Recently, a holin-like protein was shown to be essential for toxin secretion. Holins, typically bacteriophage-specific proteins, are par …

The gastrointestinal tract is a hypoxic environment, with the existence of two gradients of O2 along the gut, one longitudinal anteroposterior decreasing gradient and one proximodistal increasing from the lumen to the epithelial cells. O2 is a major source of stress for an obli …

Glycogen plays a vital role as an energy reserve in various bacterial and fungal species. Clostridioides difficile possesses a glycogen metabolism operon that contains genes for both glycogen synthesis and utilization. In our investigation, we focused on understanding the significance of glyc …

Nature Communications - In this paper, the authors use a systems biology approach to explore human gut microbiota interactions impacting multiple Clostridioides difficile strains in various...

Pathogenic Bacillus and clostridial (i.e., Clostridium and Clostridioides) bacteria express a diverse repertoire of effector proteins to promote disease. This includes production of binary toxins, which enter host epithelial cells and seriously damage the intestinal tracts of in …

There is increasing evidence about the influence the changes in microbiota and its metabolism has on numerous diseases and infections such as Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The knowledge of these changes at local and systemic levels can help us manage this infection to avoid recurr …

Glycogen plays a vital role as an energy reserve in various bacterial and fungal species. Clostridioides difficile possesses a glycogen metabolism operon that contains genes for both glycogen synthesis and utilization. In our investigation, we focused on understanding the significance of glyc …

The gastrointestinal tract is a hypoxic environment, with the existence of two gradients of O2 along the gut, one longitudinal anteroposterior decreasing gradient and one proximodistal increasing from the lumen to the epithelial cells. O2 is a major source of stress for an obli …

New research uncovers how COVID-19 may cause neuroinflammation, leading to persistent neurological symptoms even after recovery.

The gut pathogen Clostridioides difficile utilizes a wide range of carbon sources. Microbial communities can be rationally designed to combat C. difficile by depleting its preferred nutrients in the gut. However, C. difficile is genetically diverse with hundreds of identified ri …

The Clostridia produce and secrete Large Clostridial Glucosylating Toxins (LCGTs) responsible for disease symptoms, but the secretion mechanism is largely unknown. Recently, a holin-like protein was shown to be essential for toxin secretion. Holins, typically bacteriophage-specific proteins, are par …

Communications Biology - Identification of an N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase in the ribotype 027 C. difficile strain M7404, involved in the active secretion of the large clostridial...

Pseudomembranous colitis (PC) is an inflammation of the colon primarily caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), often following antibiotic use. This case report describes the intricate clinical course of a 48-year-old male farmer with a history of chronic alcoholism, tobacco us …