Haldfarmer2384

Jose Lemme-Dumit works in the field of mucosal immunology and vaccines. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how two papers, "Long-term expansion of epithelial organoids from human colon, adenoma, adenocarcinoma, and Barrett's epithelium" by Sato et al. (T. Sato, D. E. Stange, M. Ferrante, R. G. J. Vries, et al., Gastroenterology 1411762-1772, 2011, https//doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2011.07.050) and "T helper cell cytokines modulate intestinal stem cell renewal and differentiation" by Biton et al. (M. Biton, A. L. Haber, N. Rogel, G. Burgin, et al., Cell 1751307-1320.E22, 2018, https//doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.008), have influenced his research by describing the development of intestinal organoid cultures and implementation of high-throughput sequencing analysis. The combination of these forefront technologies has expanded opportunities for mechanistic interrogation of host immunity to enteric pathogens.The gut microbiota is an integral part of maintaining resistance against infection by Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile, a pathogen of increasing concern in both health care and community settings. The recent article by J. M. Auchtung, E. C. Preisner, J. Collins, A. I. Lerma, and R. A. Britton (mSphere 5e00387-20, 2020, https//doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00387-20) demonstrates an innovative approach to identify microbes that inhibit C. difficile by employing a dilution scheme to test different microbial mixtures in vitro and in vivo This type of approach can advance the identification and validation of specific microbes that elicit functions of interest for many conditions involving the microbiota, of which the complexity and variability can often complicate causality.Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Asgardarchaeota have been recovered from a variety of habitats, broadening their environmental distribution and providing access to the genetic makeup of this archaeal lineage. The recent success in cultivating the first representative of Lokiarchaeia was a breakthrough in science at large and gave rise to new hypotheses about the evolution of eukaryotes. Despite their singular phylogenetic position at the base of the eukaryotic tree of life, the morphology of these bewildering organisms remains a mystery, except for the report of an unusual morphology with long, branching protrusions of the cultivated Lokiarchaeion strain "Candidatus Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum" MK-D1. In order to visualize this elusive group, we applied a combination of fluorescence in situ hybridization and catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD-FISH) and epifluorescence microscopy on coastal hypersaline sediment samples, using specifically designed CARD-FISH probes for Heimdallarchaeia and Lokiarchaeor Heimdallarchaeia and Lokiarchaeia lineages. We provide the first visual evidence for Heimdallarchaeia that are characterized by a uniform cellular morphology typified by an apparently centralized DNA localization. Further, we provide new images of a lineage of Lokiarchaeia that is different from the cultured representative and with multiple morphologies, ranging from small ovoid cells to long filaments. This diversity in observed cell shapes is likely owing to the large phylogenetic diversity within Asgardarchaeota, the vast majority of which remain uncultured.Staphylococcus aureus is a highly significant infection problem in health care centers, particularly after surgery. It has been shown that nearly 80% of S. aureus infections following surgery are the same as those in the anterior nares of patients, suggesting that the anterior nares is the source of the infection strain. This has led to the use of mupirocin ointment being applied nasally to reduce infections; mupirocin resistance is being observed. This study was undertaken to determine whether gel composed of 5% glycerol monolaurate solubilized in a glycol-based, nonaqueous gel (5% GML gel) could be used as an alternative. In our study, 40 healthy human volunteers swabbed their anterior nares for 3 days with the 5% GML gel. Prior to swabbing and 8 to 12 h after swabbing, S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococcal CFU per milliliter were determined by plating the swabs on mannitol salt agar. Fourteen of the volunteers had S. aureus in their nares prior to 5% GML gel treatment, most persons with the organsted and should be considered for studies to reduce infection and transmission of coronaviruses and influenza viruses.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has wreaked havoc across the globe; although the number of cases in Africa remains lower than in other regions, it is on a gradual upward trajectory. To date, COVID-19 cases have been reported in 54 out of 55 African countries. However, due to limited severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) testing capacity and scarcity of testing reagents, it is probable that the total number of cases could far exceed published statistics. In this viewpoint, using Ghana, Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe as examples of countries that have implemented different testing strategies, we argue that the implementation of sample pooling for rRT-PCR over antibody rapid diagnostic testing could have a greater impact in assessing disease burden. Sample pooling offers huge advantages compared to single test rRT-PCR, as it reduces diagnostic costs, personnel time, burnout, and analytical run times. Africa is already strained in terms of testing resources for COVID-19; hence, cheaper alternative ways need to be implemented to conserve resources, maximize mass testing, and reduce transmission in the wider population.Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) carriage is commonly used to measure effects of pneumococcal vaccines. Based on findings from culture-based studies, the World Health Organization recommends both nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) sampling for detecting adult carriage. Given evidence of potential confounding by other streptococci, we evaluated molecular methods for pneumococcal identification and serotyping from 250 OP samples collected from adults in Fiji, using paired NP samples for comparison. Samples were screened using lytA quantitative PCR (qPCR), as well as pneumococcal identification and serotyping conducted by DNA microarray. CK666 A subset of OP samples were characterized by latex sweep agglutination and multiplex PCR. Alternate qPCR assays (piaB and bguR) for pneumococcal identification were evaluated. The lytA qPCR was less specific and had poor positive predictive value (PPV) in OP samples (88% and 26%, respectively) compared with NP samples (95% and 64%, respectively). Using additional targets piaB and/or bguR improved qPCR specificity in OP, although the PPV (42 to 53%) was still poor.