Precise reason for health benefits of dark chocolate: Thank hungry gut microbes

 Precise reason for health benefits of dark chocolate: Thank hungry gut microbes

 

So we have all heard that dark chocolate is good for you, well that is in moderation. But do you know why it is good for you? Well it seems that researchers have found out why it is good for us. Well there are certain bacteria in our stomach eat the chocolate and ferment it into anti-inflammatory compounds that are good for our hearts. I never knew dark chocolate was good for our hearts, I was always told that chocolate was bad until I was 20 and they said dark chocolate is better for us. There are good and bad microbes in our guts the good ones like Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria, which eats the chocolate in the stomach. They created a great experiment that is worth a read if I were to write it down I could write three pages. But they found that those microbes that ferment the chocolate create this anit Inflammatory substance and when absorbed into the blood it removes cholesterol in the heart values which can help you live longer just like they say a glass of red wine when your older at least once a day while help you live longer. So it seems when I get older ill be able to have my red wine and my dark chocolate that will help me live longer and have a better heart.

Carbon loss from soil accelerating climate change

            It seems like there is another development in the increase of climate change in the world. Two Northern Arizona University researchers discovered that the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes soil microbes to produce more carbon dioxide accelerating climate change. The researchers conducted an experiment from 53 different areas around the world e.g. forests, grasslands and agricultural fields. This experiment measured how the extra carbon in the atmosphere affected the plant growth, the microbial production of carbon and the total amount of soil carbon at the end of this experiment. The past accepted belief was that carbon is stored in wood and soil for a long time slowing the climate change. But this new belief suggests that extra carbon provides fuel to microorganisms in the soil whose byproducts, like carbon, are released into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.  

            It is crazy to think that the soil microbes are contributing to more carbon into the atmosphere creating a faster climate change. It makes one think that the nature areas around cities are actually doubling the cities impact of carbon into the atmosphere. So not only is the cities inhabitants are causing the climate to change rapidly so is nature, that is so intense. However if we cut down on our carbon output then maybe nature will be able to cut down its carbon output.   

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424140907.htm

Commonly used pain relievers have added benefit of fighting bacterial infection

 

It seems that some NSAID’s, which are common drugs, used for aches, pains, fever, and inflammation in joints seem to have the ability to kill bacteria from drug resistant infections as well as superbugs. This discovery is extremely important, this means that NSAID’s can be used to attack and kill superbugs that have become resistant to many or most of the antibiotics on the market. DR. Oakley said that these bacteria killing anti-inflammatory drugs can be developed to create a whole new line of antibiotics against these superbugs. The researchers on this case analyzed three different NSAID’s; bromofenac, carpofen, and vedaprogen the more common NSAID’s such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen were not tested. They discovered that these drugs bind and inhibit a protein in bacteria called the DNA clamp. The DNA clamp is part of an enzyme that allows the bacterial species to multiply, by stopping this it kills the bacteria and not allowing it to grow.

            This is wonderful news for the world of medicine as well as for those who have drug resistant infections or have superbugs. To think that those with these infections will finally have a way to kill these bugs and go back to being a healthy happy individual. I, for one, am super excited for when they develop these NSAID’s into a new line of antibiotics. It means that we are finding more cures for illness’s that are in basic medicine that has been around for a while. It makes me wonder if other commonly used medication can be studied to see if they are helpful in the treatment of other illnesses.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140313123127.htm

Gut Microbes Spur Development of Bowel Cancer

   

 Gut Microbes Spur Development of Bowel Cancer

     It seems that not only is dowel cancer is genetic, and if you are related to someone who has bowel cancer you are not predisposed to it. It seems that there are microbes living in the gut that help in the development of intestinal tumors. Bowel cancer also known as colorectal cancer results in a sequence of genetic mutations that change healthy cells to cancerous cells: by first creating tumors also known as polyps that can become malignant. This new research has shown that polyps are the bacteria that are important for early tumor development. Using mice discovered all this new information in the discovery of these microbes in the gut.

     It seems like to me that more and more cancers are being found to be created or improved by the microbes in the body; also showing that anyone can get cancer and that it isn’t always inherited by genetics. However it could be safe to say that if you are related to someone who has cancer and that anyone can get this kind of cancer if these microbes live in you that you can possibly get cancer. In this case it would be bowel cancer, however it is suggested that this can be avoided if certain gut bacteria is removed; more research is needed to see if this is possible and a true fact that can be implemented in the future. If it is found to be true so many people can be saved and treated before they even get sick.  

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140303135902.htm

Understanding Plant-Soil Interaction Could Lead to New Ways to Combat Weeds

Rachael Pine

Understanding Plant-Soil Interaction Could Lead to New Ways to Combat Weeds

 

I bet you among many other people are worried about the pesticides used in controlling weeds in crops. As well as being worried about GMO’s, genetically modified organisms, and the possible effects that can happen to humans in the future by the consumption of GMO’s. Microbial ecologist Tony Yannarell and colleagues from the University of Illinois have identified soil microbes that affect ragweed’s negatively. This has provided a new understanding of the relationships between plants and microorganisms happening beneath the soil. Tony Yannarell said that adding microbes to the soil has never been successful in the past, and the best approach is to introduce plants that attract microbe that are bad for ragweed’s.

This idea is fantastic it allows farmers to use this technique to help keep weeds away and this same plan can be used to attract microbes that can fight against pests and insects from harming the crops. It will help stop the use of GMO’s and harmful pesticides and human consumptions of these chemicals and GMO’s; along with the future problems they can create. This can give people more organic food as well as the possibility of becoming cheaper and more affordable allowing our country to become healthier.

            To be honest I never knew that some plants could attract microorganisms to prevent or attack weeds, pests, or insects from attacking the crops being grown. I thought the only way to remove them would to be constant attention to pull or remove them as well as using chemicals to prevent the crops from being harmed.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140325133548.htm

Scientists find new strategy to combt bacterial infections

Well it seems that scientists are finding an increasing number of bacteria that is becoming antibiotic resistance. This gives scientists a challenge in trying to create an antibiotic that can kill or disrupt bacteria from growing. But they have found a new drug to treat bacterial infections particularly uti’s (urinary tract infections). However this drug does not destroy pathogenic bacteria but disarms them. This helps the useful bacteria to become unharmed and a lower risk of development and spread of resistance of the bacteria.

Hopefully this will be utilized in other areas of bacterial infections and help keep other antibiotic’s from hurting other parts of the body. Such as penicillin; penicillin causes yeast infections in most people. If this new strategy works it will prevent those patients from getting yeast infections and will cause them to get better faster. 

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140129075808.htm

Antibiotic ‘smart bomb’ can target specific strains of bacteria

Rachael Pine

Antibiotic ‘smart bomb’ can target specific strains of bacteria

            This article mentions how they have developed an antibiotic that can identify certain strains of bacteria and dissolve their DNA abolishing the infection. This system approach helps treat infections with a multi-drug resistant bacterium. Typically conventional antibiotic treatments tend to kill both good and bad bacteria that can harm the patient causing even more illness, causing the patient to go back to the doctor to get more antibiotics that will cause other illnesses. According to this new approach takes advantage of a part of the immune system present in many bacteria called CRISPR-Cas system. This protects bacteria from invaders like viruses and making small strands of RNA called CRISPR RNA’s.

            This advancement will help many people from getting ill and causing patients to not get yeast infections or other possible illnesses that can harm the patient(s). Hopefully this will help future patients, and who knows maybe this technique will be utilized and tuned to kill other bacteria strains.

  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140130110953.htm

How Our Immune System Backfires and Allows Bacteria Like Salmonella to Grow

Rachael Pine

How Our Immune System Backfires and Allows Bacteria Like Salmonella to Grow

            Did you ever think that your bodies’ defenses would ever betray you? We were always taught that the microorganisms in our body helped with taking care of our everyday functions, and that they helped keep us healthy. We were also told that when we got sick that our antibodies helped keep these bacteria and viruses at bay.

            Well that isn’t the case for this guy, researchers call him Interleukin-22 or IL-22 this is a immune protein. Il-22 helps protect against disease causing pathogens by separating metal ions like iron, zinc, and manganese from microbes. By doing this it is starving them of essential nutrients so they can’t grow and become dangerous. They still don’t understand how Salmonella escapes this and uses IL-22 to help grow. Researchers at the University of California found that IL-22 doesn’t protect the host against Salmonella but actually helps it grow. The Researchers even set up an experiment with mice some who have normal IL-22 and some who are lacking IL-22 and infected them with Salmonella. The mice that were lacking IL-22 got sicker faster than the normal mice. So it’s clear that whether you have a normal amount or lacking amount you will still get sick.

            Isn’t that amazing to think we have an immune protein that can make us sicker. Hopefully researchers will find out how it gets past IL-22 and stop it from happening; along with stopping it from helping it grow and hurting the host. At least that’s what we can all hope for.

"Superbugs" Found Breeding in Sewage Plants

Rachael Pine

“Superbugs” Found Breeding in Sewage Plants

            First off our sewage plants are meant to take care of sewage and make things like water usable again. I thought that we perfected this and there was no danger in doing this; and that the cleaning process would help us from using our entire water source. But, this article mentions how in china there has been a discovery of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (NDM-1) that does not respond to the traditional cleaning processes. Scientist’s also found that this bacteria can make common bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella etc. resistant to even the strongest antibiotics. Another thing that is scary is that doctors wont know if you are infected with NDM-1 until the symptoms wont respond to antibiotics. The scientists are still trying to understand these superbugs and how to stop them from getting pass the cleaning processes. One scientist suggested using ultraviolet light to kill these superbugs; however more studying and experiments need to be done before we can kill these superbugs.

            It’s terrifying to think that this new bacteria has grown and is getting passed our cleaning processes. Along with the fact that it can make other bacteria’s super bugs is scary as well. It’s like this NDM-1 is spinach and all these other bacteria is Popeye and when they eat it they turn super strong and can’t be stopped until it is too late. I for one hope that this will not reach the U.S. let alone the entire earth and if it does the scientist in china will have found a way to stop it, hopefully.    

  

Human Immune System Shapes Skin Microbiome

Rachael Pine

Human Immune System Shapes Skin Microbiome

 

This article is very interesting, it says that we all know that our body holds many types of microbes; some that is beneficial to our body and can be harmful diseases that can enter through opening in the skin. The author speaks on how that we can have a microbe imbalance based on where you collect your sample on your body. Some large amounts of microbes, for example, can be found behind your ear; a lower amount of microbes can be found in a place like the crease of your elbow. Our immune system might influence the types of microbes that live on our skin and possibly help to fend off dangerous infection.

It’s awesome to think that our bodies can do this kind of work to help protect our insides on the outside. Our immune system’s determining on how our skin grows and what kinds of microbes are allowed to be on our person. However, for people with skin problems like eczema have a harder time fending off these microbes because their skin is already ill and doesn’t repair as well as someone who doesn’t have eczema.

The use of this study is to possible to help patients in the future who have skin problems such as cancer patients or maybe temporary immune deficiency. If scientist can harness this technology and discovery; many people will be helped and saved and will never have to be miserable or scared that they might die. Especially cancer patients who have skin cancer and have a major possibly of dying. 

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131029133542.htm

Rare new microbes

Rachael Pine

Rare New Microbe Found in Two Spacecraft Clean Rooms

           You would think that cleanrooms are clear of all viruses, bugs, and microbes etc. however you would be wrong, NASA has found a new species of microbes (Tersicoccus phoenicis) in these rooms that survive on very little nutrients. It has been found in two places on earth Florida at the Kennedy Space Center and South America at the European Space Agency facility in Kourou, French Guiana. These new bugs are berry shaped, Vaishampayan wasn’t surprised to find these new bugs he says, “We find a lot of bugs in clean rooms because we are looking so hard to find them there. The same bug might be in the soil outside the clean room but we wouldn't necessarily identify it there because it would be hidden by the overwhelming numbers of other bugs.” So it’s not a surprise or a new developed bug; this new virus has probably been around for years but we have never seen it, because of the other microbes surrounding it. 

            Its amazing to think that these microbes are being able to live in these cleanrooms with very little to live one. They clean these rooms in this way; drying, chemical cleaning, ultraviolet treatments, heating and peroxide treatments. For they to live in these spaces with very little nutrients is amazing and shows me that life will always find a way and live off of what it can find. It would be interesting to see if these microbes are deadly towards our astronauts, and if it would grow and become more prosperous or if space will cause the microbes to die.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131106162631.htm

Microbial Ecology Assignment 1 1/24/2014

Rachael Pine

 Predatory organisms at ocean depths

 

The author in my article clearly states that there are two hundred and twenty-five times more viruses than microbes in old nutrient poor marine sediments. Therefore they take up the largest fraction of living biomasses and have taken over as predators in this ecosystem. There was a time when scientists thought that the biomasses of microbes were equal to that of all the marine life above it; however, they over looked viruses. It seems that the viruses have taken over the microbial population and have become the main predators as well as controlling the size and composition of microbes.

            The author seems to be able to explain how this is possible, but it would be easier if there were graphs or charts explaining how the viruses take over the microbes. Another thing that would help is to show the experiment(s) on how this ideal was brought to the surface of the scientific world. I didn’t think that viruses could live in the marine sediments, or in such extreme habitats. I know that extreme heat can kill some viruses, and extreme cold will freeze them, causing them to not be able to attack. This article has shown me that viruses can live in extreme habitats or situations on the planet, and that they can become predators.

            One of the first questions that came to my mind is why do we need to know if there are viruses in old nutrient poor marine sediment? Is knowing this information going to help us in the future to understand how viruses can control microbes along with how they can survive crazy, extreme habitats. Are these viruses going to affect marine life and cause them to become sick and spread like wild fire? If that happens will these viruses affect us humans who do eat the marine life? Will it cause a hole in the food chain causing a collapse in the world?   

  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140121130803.htm

week 1 post

I choose this course because I needed science credits, as well as an English 102 credit. I figured that these classes that are combined will help me pass, because I prefer science over English. So this may help me pass and get my G.P.A. up and be able to get into my program.

 This is an image of Bacteroides. http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/09/01/bacteroides-36759a40d34842ceedd274912ab79f119aaf3a3b-s6-c30.jpg