How antibiotics used in factory farming destroy our microbiomes

Good bacteria are our friends. We need to protect them.

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  • More and more research nowadays links good gut flora to several health benefits, such as the inhibition of Alzheimer's to a fast metabolism.
  • Since we're over prescribed antibiotics, and because much of the meat we consume comes from animals that were fed antibiotics, we are destroying much of the good bacteria, and often at the risk — because of our diets — of replenishing them.
  • A well-rounded diet that's light in animal protein, high in macronutrients, and supplemented with a good intake of prebiotics can ensure we're keeping probiotics flourishing.
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The cause of Alzheimer’s may be gum disease

This means the disease may be curable and a vaccine possible.

Photo credit: SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP / Getty Images
  • Bacteria in periodontitis seems to be the culprit.
  • Reported amyloid and tau buildups may be a response, not a cause.
  • Compelling research offers a genuine reason for optimism.
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Technique identifies electricity-producing bacteria

Microbes screened with a new microfluidic process might be used in power generation or environmental cleanup.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office
January 11, 2019

Living in extreme conditions requires creative adaptations. For certain species of bacteria that exist in oxygen-deprived environments, this means finding a way to breathe that doesn't involve oxygen. These hardy microbes, which can be found deep within mines, at the bottom of lakes, and even in the human gut, have evolved a unique form of breathing that involves excreting and pumping out electrons. In other words, these microbes can actually produce electricity.

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Scientists are killing superbugs with viruses

Fighting fire with fire.

Image source: Shutterstock
  • CDC estimates say that 154 million antibiotic prescriptions are given out each year, 30 percent of which are unnecessary.
  • The overuse of antibiotics have led to the rise of nigh-untreatable superbugs.
  • Phage therapy offers a promising new way to overcome antibiotic resistance, but it also comes with its own risks and challenges.
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Organisms living inside the Earth far outnumber all the humans, reveals study

Researchers find an amazing amount of often-weird forms of life below the planet's surface.

Credit: Gaetan Borgonie (Extreme Life Isyensya, Belgium).
  • Scientists found a rich ecosystem deep inside the planet.
  • The "deep biosphere" contains mostly bacteria and microbes.
  • The amount of life below the surface is hundreds of times greater than the combined weight of all the humans.
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