Mostly Microbes and Infection

  Updates on the ongoing outbreak in the US. Why are delis so vulnerable to Listeria outbreaks?

Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, have caused pandemics in the past two decades. The most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern can re-infect individuals who have been previously infected with other variants or had protection from vaccines targeting the original SARS-CoV-2 variant. Given the high risk of transmission of coronavirus  via  aerosols produced during dental procedures, it is important to understand the future risk of coronavirus infection for oral health professionals and to diagnose quickly early stages of outbreaks. Testing of saliva for coronavirus may be the least invasive and most convenient method for following the outbreak at the individual and community level. This review will describe strategies for diagnosis of coronavirus in saliva. by Parvati Iyer, Takahiro Chino and David M. 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.