Studying within-species variation has traditionally been limited to culturable bacterial
isolates and low-resolution microbial community fingerprinting. Metagenomic sequencing …

Outbreaks of multidrug-resistant bacteria present a frequent threat to vulnerable patient
populations in hospitals around the world. Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly …

Human gut microbiome composition is shaped by multiple factors but the relative
contribution of host genetics remains elusive. Here we examine genotype and microbiome …

Most experiments studying bacterial microbiomes rely on the PCR amplification of all or part
of the gene for the 16S rRNA subunit, which serves as a biomarker for identifying and …

Microbiomes are ubiquitous and are found in the ocean, the soil, and in/on other living
organisms. Changes in the microbiome can impact the health of the environmental niche in …

Whole metagenome analysis has the potential to reveal functional triggers of skin diseases,
but issues of cost, robustness and sampling efficacy have limited its application. Here, we …

A trend towards the abandonment of obtaining pure culture isolates in frontline laboratories
is at a crossroads with the ability of public health agencies to perform their basic mandate of …

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis is not only the leading cause of hospitalization
in US infants, but also a major risk factor for asthma development. While emerging evidence …

The biological importance and varied metabolic capabilities of specific microbial strains
have long been established in the scientific community. Strains have, in the past, been …

An important fraction of microbial diversity is harbored in strain individuality, so identification
of conspecific bacterial strains is imperative for improved understanding of microbial …