Microbiologists’ work adds to research on microbiome fungi and childhood disease

WRITTEN BY Geitner Simmons

A surge in research projects on the human microbiome — the complex ecosystem of microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract — is bolstering scientific understanding of health, disease and environment. Much of the research has focused on gut bacteria and viruses, leaving a third factor — fungi — little studied.

An international consortium of scientists has conducted the first large-scale study of gastrointestinal fungi throughout early childhood. The research team included Thomas and Jennifer Auchtung, husband and wife microbiologists in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Food Science and Technology Department.

The findings, recently published in the journal Nature Communications, help fill significant gaps in scientific knowledge of the fungal dimensions of the microbiome and identify areas for further study …continue reading