Microbiology Research News and Articles - by David Ojcius

A new study reveals that an endogenous retrovirus (Suppressyn, SUPYN) might help the placenta protect embryos from viral infection.  

David Ojcius is professor at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, USA. He gained his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and did research at Rockefeller and Harvard before moving to the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, where he worked for thirteen years. His research interests include viruses and intracellular bacteria, interactions with the innate immune system, microbiota, biochemistry and cell biology of infected cells, inflammation and aging.

  Scientists studied fecal samples from >1,000 recipients of kidney & liver transplants to learn how gut microbiome impacts post- transplant survival. Gut microbiome dysbiosis was associated with increased mortality after solid organ transplantation.

    “The industry I’m in is actually two in one: teaching and research. I love teaching and interacting with students. In many ways I learn as I teach them. I love their enthusiasm and their optimism. The thing about research is you are a student for life. You constantly have to learn new skills. It requires you to be a lifelong learner, which is something I enjoy.”

  Consider what you eat - but also get rid of oral bacteria that release volatile sulfur compounds by brushing & flossing.

  “The industry I’m in is actually two in one: teaching and research. I love teaching and interacting with students. In many ways I learn as I teach them. I love their enthusiasm and their optimism. The thing about research is you are a student for life. You constantly have to learn new skills. It requires you to be a lifelong learner, which is something I enjoy.”

  4 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Ahead of Cold & Flu Season • Exercise • Get enough sleep • Eat healthy diet  • Keep up pandemic precautions  

Everyone has fat cells. But the more exercise you do, the more likely you are to have healthy and small fat cells.

  SARS-CoV-2-induced anorexia triggers systemic metabolic alterations. A new study shows  that the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) improves COVID-19 disease outcomes. Further, BHB metabolically and functionally reprograms CD4 +  T cells, highlighting immunometabolic tuning of immunity in COVID-19.