I enjoyed the refreshers on cell biology, bacteria and viruses. It's actually the latest information being released about bacteria that is most exciting to me. I heard an NPR podcast several months ago about the unique ecosystem of bacteria that inhabit each person and how they shape our individual personalities. The scientist talking said that in one study they were able to take gut bacteria from a "timid" mouse and implant the samples into a "brave" mouse and vice versa. The results were ground-breaking. The once timid mouse took on brave characteristics, and the brave mouse became more timid. In the medicine world, fecal transplants are starting to be "a thing", with people donating their flora-ful poop at donation sites to help those in need of *inspired* bacteria to rectify their digestion and overall health. It's seriously saving lives and is fairly simple in theory. But I wonder, will the donees take on characteristics of their poop donors?
I found this great blog by a guy that is even more excited about bacteria than I am and has gone forth and synthesized several articles and interesting research into one. Check it out:
http://ianchadwick.com/blog/infestations-microbes-parasites/
Most notably, one of my favorite parts of this article are from an article written recently by the Atlantic about swabs taken from individuals' belly buttons:
Instead of taking your fingerprint, maybe police should swab our belly buttons with Q-tips. No, that’s ridiculous, actually. But the idea illustrates a point made by a group of North Carolina-based researchers in their new Belly Button Biodiversity (BBB) project. Last month, the group published results of their first of many experiments, in which they swabbed 60 belly buttons and identified a total of 2,368 species of bacteria. People’s individual profiles were snowflake-ily, bacterially unique.
Going further, they were able to find only 8 (!!!) species that all of those people had in common.
I'm interested in finding a crossover in TCM, anybody out there have any input or experience?
Laura, I haven't heard that program on implanting gut bacteria into 'brave' and 'timid' mice. I'd be interested to know the program. I actually heard a similar show on Radiolab about blood. Not bacteria, but evidently, there have been experiments with mice where they gave transfusions of blood from young mice into old mice and vice versa. And, there was a complete change in memory and ability. The old mice with young blood actually were able to remember and navigate a maze much better than before with their original blood. Check it out. It is unbelievable. I know that is blood, not bacteria or viruses. But, pretty interesting nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie,
ReplyDeleteHere is the entire 8 min podcast, can't believe I found it! Good ol' google.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/11/18/244526773/gut-bacteria-might-guide-the-workings-of-our-minds
That is incredible about the blood, and could spur TCM Tian Gui research, complete validation for our medicine in my opinion. I'm ready to become a vampire now, need some young blood after today, lol.
Thank you guys for all the useful information. I was also doing some research in this area myself and your discussion and links really helped.
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