Lori Holtz, M.D. and Efrem Lim, Ph.D., Washington University School of Medicine (IMAGE)
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Bacteria aren't the only nonhuman invaders to colonize the gut shortly after a baby's birth. Viruses also set up house there, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Lori Holtz, M.D., (left) led a study with first author Efrem Lim, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate, that surveyed the viruses present in the guts of eight babies from birth to age 2, providing a first look at a healthy gut virome. The study, published online Sept. 14 in Nature Medicine, reports data from eight healthy infants and is one of the first surveys of viruses that reside in the intestine. The investigators analyzed stool samples to track how the babies' bacterial gut microbiomes and viromes changed over the first two years of life. The picture that emerged may be worthy of a wildlife documentary: It includes the discovery of viral strains new to science and suggests a dynamic ecosystem of interacting organisms, including predators and their prey.
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Robert Boston
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