3/19/20
Today the number of reported coronavirus cases in the US reached 8317, with 147 deaths.
For me, a personal beacon of light in the coronaviral darkness has been Dr. Anthony Fauci. Click HERE to read more about him. He has remained a foremost expert in infectious diseases and immunology for decades. Through his time at the NIH, he has managed to avoid political partisanship and in crises like the current one (or with HIV) provides a trusted and steadying voice. Dr. Fauci represents what I hope to achieve...not just the privilege of tackling humanity's toughest questions in the laboratory, but also leading the interpretation and communication of the answers to the public.
3/18/20
Today, the number of reported coronavirus cases in the US reached 5800, with 100 deaths.
If the entire world is fixated on the coronavirus causing COVID-19, you can imagine how much activity there has been here among this community of microbiology enthusiasts in the last few days. Watching reports and attempting to extrapolate and forecast overseas outcomes to those here in the US has brought me to a new appreciation for modeling. Of course the output of such epidemiological predictions is only as good as the data that goes in. Check out more HERE.
3/15/20
Since the last blog on the spread of the coronavirus, global conditions have sadly worsened, and the United States has only just begun to feel the painful sting of this pandemic. We can look to Asian and European nations in order to predict how it will spread on American soil, and some of these models are quite scary. Industries have slowed to a halt, and people have bought supplies in bulk in preparation for quarantines. In the midst of this chaos, one can only ask, "When will it end?" Click HERE to learn more!
2/5/20
The coronavirus is here! It's been a while since a germ has gone from obscurity to global notoriety as quickly as this one has. This article came across my computer recently, and I'm checking it out. The science is a little above me, but the PhD and other scientist types among us may be able to help interpret. It's really cool to consider how quickly scientists were able to detail the genes of the virus. Given our ongoing efforts to understand the genome of our microbiomes, I thought this article was both informative and timely.
1/16/20
Why are "ultraprocessed" foods so bad for us? Click HERE to learn more.
1/12/20
Happy New Year! Sorry for not posting in a while...just trying to get back into the swing of school.
HalfHuman.org member Dr. Jim Sones sent me this fantastic article recently published in National Geographic. Check it out HERE!
11/21/19
It seems impossible to turn on the television or read a magazine without some advertisement pushing the "microbiome-friendly" qualities of its product. What should we believe? Read more HERE.
11/20/19
More here from the New York Times on the issue of cooking food and the effect on our microbiomes. Click HERE.
11/2/19
IMPORTANT MILESTONE!!!
HalfHuman.org is officially beyond 250 members! And that's just a fraction of the number of you that come here regularly. This speaks far more to the fascination with the microbiome frontier than it does to anything being done here. So thank you!
10/28/19
I got a kick out of stumbling upon THIS ARTICLE on my friends at the Knight Lab at UCSD. Dr. Daniel McDonald, who is featured in this story, was kind enough to do a remote Skype conference on the American Gut project for my school's Biomedical Club. I'll always value my time with these guys and everything that I learned!
10/9/19
Today our "Change the World" blog takes a look at how a field known as "synthetic biology" is trying to build a better probiotic. Click HERE.
10/2/19
I came across a fascinating study published this week that goes beyond the questions of whether WHAT we eat impacts our microbiomes and instead considers the seemingly neglected impact of cooking the food.
CLICK HERE
8/24/19
Today's update is actually multiple links, all dealing with various ways that our microbiomes may influence our health. Click HERE. Hope you enjoy!
8/16/19
I'm currently in the process of writing a paper on the local experience with fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) for recurrent or refractory C diff colitis. One name that has recurrently come up in much of my source material is Colleen Kelly, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Brown University and very prominent microbiome voice in the medical community. CLICK HERE for a short video with Dr. Kelly addressing common microbiome-related questions.
7/18/19
When I first left for San Diego I pictured spending more time than ever on this site and its blogs. Well, here I am almost halfway through my second stop (Byndloss Lab at Vanderbilt), and it's turned out to be quite the opposite. I've been so busy learning my way around labs that I've neglected halfhuman.org. Sorry! It won't happen again! :)
Here at the Byndloss Lab, I'm mainly shadowing biologist Jacob Zieba. I've cleaned, prepared, and pipetted dilution tubes, streaked agar plates with different strains of E. coli bacteria, and performed sterile work cleaning glassware. I've also done various tasks in large anaerobic chambers.
Every day seems to bring new experiences and new projects! Each Thursday (like today), I go to the lab meeting and hear updates on the work of my colleagues in the lab, as well as any new developments within Vanderbilt Medical Center as a whole.
Much of the microbiome research we have discussed here deals with germ-free mice. One really cool fact I learned is that when dealing with germ-free mice, researchers must make sure that their food is also germ-free. How is this done? First the food is double irradiated and is then packaged in vacuum-sealed bags. Water for the mice is autoclaved for sterilization.
Now, back to the glorious world of the microbiome. I've never been accused of being an elite athlete...but maybe that could change? CLICK!
Today the number of reported coronavirus cases in the US reached 8317, with 147 deaths.
For me, a personal beacon of light in the coronaviral darkness has been Dr. Anthony Fauci. Click HERE to read more about him. He has remained a foremost expert in infectious diseases and immunology for decades. Through his time at the NIH, he has managed to avoid political partisanship and in crises like the current one (or with HIV) provides a trusted and steadying voice. Dr. Fauci represents what I hope to achieve...not just the privilege of tackling humanity's toughest questions in the laboratory, but also leading the interpretation and communication of the answers to the public.
3/18/20
Today, the number of reported coronavirus cases in the US reached 5800, with 100 deaths.
If the entire world is fixated on the coronavirus causing COVID-19, you can imagine how much activity there has been here among this community of microbiology enthusiasts in the last few days. Watching reports and attempting to extrapolate and forecast overseas outcomes to those here in the US has brought me to a new appreciation for modeling. Of course the output of such epidemiological predictions is only as good as the data that goes in. Check out more HERE.
3/15/20
Since the last blog on the spread of the coronavirus, global conditions have sadly worsened, and the United States has only just begun to feel the painful sting of this pandemic. We can look to Asian and European nations in order to predict how it will spread on American soil, and some of these models are quite scary. Industries have slowed to a halt, and people have bought supplies in bulk in preparation for quarantines. In the midst of this chaos, one can only ask, "When will it end?" Click HERE to learn more!
2/5/20
The coronavirus is here! It's been a while since a germ has gone from obscurity to global notoriety as quickly as this one has. This article came across my computer recently, and I'm checking it out. The science is a little above me, but the PhD and other scientist types among us may be able to help interpret. It's really cool to consider how quickly scientists were able to detail the genes of the virus. Given our ongoing efforts to understand the genome of our microbiomes, I thought this article was both informative and timely.
1/16/20
Why are "ultraprocessed" foods so bad for us? Click HERE to learn more.
1/12/20
Happy New Year! Sorry for not posting in a while...just trying to get back into the swing of school.
HalfHuman.org member Dr. Jim Sones sent me this fantastic article recently published in National Geographic. Check it out HERE!
11/21/19
It seems impossible to turn on the television or read a magazine without some advertisement pushing the "microbiome-friendly" qualities of its product. What should we believe? Read more HERE.
11/20/19
More here from the New York Times on the issue of cooking food and the effect on our microbiomes. Click HERE.
11/2/19
IMPORTANT MILESTONE!!!
HalfHuman.org is officially beyond 250 members! And that's just a fraction of the number of you that come here regularly. This speaks far more to the fascination with the microbiome frontier than it does to anything being done here. So thank you!
10/28/19
I got a kick out of stumbling upon THIS ARTICLE on my friends at the Knight Lab at UCSD. Dr. Daniel McDonald, who is featured in this story, was kind enough to do a remote Skype conference on the American Gut project for my school's Biomedical Club. I'll always value my time with these guys and everything that I learned!
10/9/19
Today our "Change the World" blog takes a look at how a field known as "synthetic biology" is trying to build a better probiotic. Click HERE.
10/2/19
I came across a fascinating study published this week that goes beyond the questions of whether WHAT we eat impacts our microbiomes and instead considers the seemingly neglected impact of cooking the food.
CLICK HERE
8/24/19
Today's update is actually multiple links, all dealing with various ways that our microbiomes may influence our health. Click HERE. Hope you enjoy!
8/16/19
I'm currently in the process of writing a paper on the local experience with fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) for recurrent or refractory C diff colitis. One name that has recurrently come up in much of my source material is Colleen Kelly, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Brown University and very prominent microbiome voice in the medical community. CLICK HERE for a short video with Dr. Kelly addressing common microbiome-related questions.
7/18/19
When I first left for San Diego I pictured spending more time than ever on this site and its blogs. Well, here I am almost halfway through my second stop (Byndloss Lab at Vanderbilt), and it's turned out to be quite the opposite. I've been so busy learning my way around labs that I've neglected halfhuman.org. Sorry! It won't happen again! :)
Here at the Byndloss Lab, I'm mainly shadowing biologist Jacob Zieba. I've cleaned, prepared, and pipetted dilution tubes, streaked agar plates with different strains of E. coli bacteria, and performed sterile work cleaning glassware. I've also done various tasks in large anaerobic chambers.
Every day seems to bring new experiences and new projects! Each Thursday (like today), I go to the lab meeting and hear updates on the work of my colleagues in the lab, as well as any new developments within Vanderbilt Medical Center as a whole.
Much of the microbiome research we have discussed here deals with germ-free mice. One really cool fact I learned is that when dealing with germ-free mice, researchers must make sure that their food is also germ-free. How is this done? First the food is double irradiated and is then packaged in vacuum-sealed bags. Water for the mice is autoclaved for sterilization.
Now, back to the glorious world of the microbiome. I've never been accused of being an elite athlete...but maybe that could change? CLICK!
6/15/19
Not all news in Microbiomeland is always rosy. Click HERE for more on the alarming information that came out this week.
6/14/19
Thanks to those of you that have sent good wishes to me out here in San Diego! My time here is moving really fast. I haven't quiiiiiite solved all the world's problems, but it's fascinating and encouraging to hang out with some of the people that will. At left is a photo of me doing some "research" on the ecology of the Pacific Ocean! Ha!
It has been interesting to see what blog posts get the most response. So far, it has easily been the ones that deal with the possible relationships between our internal bacteria and the brain (Parkinson's, autism, etc.). As you know, it was this connection that first interested me.
I've made a new "Change the World" blog post linking two articles on this subject that were sent to me this past week by readers/friends of our site. Click HERE!
Onward!
Jimmy
6/4/19
Wow, the last week has really been a blur. I'm settling in out here in San Diego, really enjoying the Knight Lab (more on that soon). I knew I would love the lab, it was the logistical issues that concerned me (where to eat?...no car, so I'm now an Uber expert, etc.). What I DIDN'T expect was such an amazing spike in interest resulting from a Facebook post by my dad. In just a few days last week, halfhuman.org's membership more than DOUBLED! I'm having to really push our distribution center (aka my parents) in Jackson to get all the t-shirts and sampling kits out. Thanks for your patience!
Always remember that our purpose here is to provide a means of communication and education about the microbiome. A great example of how this can work is the email I received last week from fertility expert (and long-time family friend) Dr. Marty Gebhart. Really cool stuff. Read more HERE! Also, please spread the word. It's so exciting and satisfying to get all the great feedback about how we learn from each other.
Jimmy
5/25/19
Jimmy here. Today I leave for San Diego to begin a nine week education in the microbiome. I'm so excited to get a peek at what the incredible people on the front lines are doing every day to answer their questions...and ultimately make human life better. I get started this week in the UCSD lab of Dr. Rob Knight (you'll find links to his TED talk, videos, etc., on this site). In July, it's off to Vanderbilt to lend a hand in the lab of Dr. Mariana Byndloss.
I'm so excited about this summer, and I want to thank all of you for supporting halfhuman.org. It's this project that has opened these doors, and it's all of you that make this project go. I fully intend to learn everything I can and to bring as much as possible here for all of you, as we all continue...
ONWARD!
Jimmy
5/16/19
In recent microbiome news...
The genetic inability to digest dairy products, present in 2/3 of the world's adult humans, may be able to be "bypassed" by altering the gut microbiome. CLICK HERE.
5/10/19
Sorry for the recent lack of updates...exam time! I know, no excuses...I'll do better. :)
Those of you that know me well know that two of my major interests involve the human microbiome (of course) and the importance of cultural awareness and inclusion. I seemed to enter these two "fields" through completely unrelated paths, BUT it has been fascinating to realize the dominant, common theme: Whether we are discussing an individual's gut microbiome, a community, or a school, lack of diversity is problematic. This fascinating report from the University of Minnesota assesses what happens to the microbiomes--and health--of individuals who come from Asia to the US. Our population may benefit from added cultural diversity, but the gut diversity of the immigrants suffers! CLICK HERE.
4/14/19
It seems that almost daily there is fascinating, exciting news relating to the microbiome. Please read this eye-opening report on the beneficial effects of fecal transplantation on children with autism. Thanks to Dr. Jim Sones for sharing with us!! CLICK HERE!
4/12/19
"Club Med," our school Biomedical group at Jackson Prep, was privileged today to have Dr. Daniel McDonald join us from UC-San Diego via remote teleconference. Daniel educated us on the largest ever citizen science project, American Gut, for which he serves as Scientific Director. We discussed the complexities of the human microbiome and the difficulties associated with attempting to understand such massive amounts of data. Over twenty of my classmates became members of halfhuman.org, with the opportunity to have their own microbiomes identified via American Gut!
3/14/19
What a privilege to spend time with two different microbiome related labs at Vanderbilt University today. Click HERE.
3/13/19
This new piece from the New York Times, linked in our "Change the World" blog, adds to the argument that we are too clean.
3/8/2019
I had a fascinating conversation with Dr. John Rawls, Director of the Duke University Microbiome Center. To read more, go HERE.
2/28/19
Thanks to Rob Knight and all the organizers for such an amazing experience here in San Diego at the first CMI International Microbiome Meeting! Click here for my reflections.
2/24/19
Dr. Jim Sones, who has just stepped down as Chief of the Digestive Diseases Department at University of Mississippi Medical Center, will be speaking at our Biomedical Club at school this Tuesday 2/26/19. Dr. Sones recently joined halfhuman.org and sent me the link that I have just now posted in the "Educate" blog. It is a great "lay person" summary of the human microbiome. Check it out!
2/22/19 UPDATE
Thank you all for the response to halfhuman.org. It has been overwhelming (at times, literally)!
We put this site online last fall and have generally been just "tinkering" while we line up the online "store" and I become more confident with the idea of a website, nonprofit, etc. We have not yet advertised the site, so those of you that have found your way here and joined our efforts, bought a t-shirt, or simply read or commented on the blog posts have done so on your own. I believe we are now ready to "go live" by being a little more aggressive about spreading the word. Any help with this will be appreciated and certainly lead to enhanced discussion on the blogs.
For those of you that have paid for microbiome sampling kits or t-shirts, thank you for your patience! The shirts are in (and look amazing), and the kits are on their way from San Diego!
A few of you emailed asking for a single spot on the website to be able to look for any new info or updates. This is the spot that will serve that function. At least once weekly, I plan to add updates of interest, direct you to new blog posts, etc.
Remember that this website is designed to serve as a source for exchange of ideas, not a one-way flow of information. Anyone who is interested in contributing should feel free to post comments or even serve as a guest blogger! Thanks again for being here!
Jimmy
Not all news in Microbiomeland is always rosy. Click HERE for more on the alarming information that came out this week.
6/14/19
Thanks to those of you that have sent good wishes to me out here in San Diego! My time here is moving really fast. I haven't quiiiiiite solved all the world's problems, but it's fascinating and encouraging to hang out with some of the people that will. At left is a photo of me doing some "research" on the ecology of the Pacific Ocean! Ha!
It has been interesting to see what blog posts get the most response. So far, it has easily been the ones that deal with the possible relationships between our internal bacteria and the brain (Parkinson's, autism, etc.). As you know, it was this connection that first interested me.
I've made a new "Change the World" blog post linking two articles on this subject that were sent to me this past week by readers/friends of our site. Click HERE!
Onward!
Jimmy
6/4/19
Wow, the last week has really been a blur. I'm settling in out here in San Diego, really enjoying the Knight Lab (more on that soon). I knew I would love the lab, it was the logistical issues that concerned me (where to eat?...no car, so I'm now an Uber expert, etc.). What I DIDN'T expect was such an amazing spike in interest resulting from a Facebook post by my dad. In just a few days last week, halfhuman.org's membership more than DOUBLED! I'm having to really push our distribution center (aka my parents) in Jackson to get all the t-shirts and sampling kits out. Thanks for your patience!
Always remember that our purpose here is to provide a means of communication and education about the microbiome. A great example of how this can work is the email I received last week from fertility expert (and long-time family friend) Dr. Marty Gebhart. Really cool stuff. Read more HERE! Also, please spread the word. It's so exciting and satisfying to get all the great feedback about how we learn from each other.
Jimmy
5/25/19
Jimmy here. Today I leave for San Diego to begin a nine week education in the microbiome. I'm so excited to get a peek at what the incredible people on the front lines are doing every day to answer their questions...and ultimately make human life better. I get started this week in the UCSD lab of Dr. Rob Knight (you'll find links to his TED talk, videos, etc., on this site). In July, it's off to Vanderbilt to lend a hand in the lab of Dr. Mariana Byndloss.
I'm so excited about this summer, and I want to thank all of you for supporting halfhuman.org. It's this project that has opened these doors, and it's all of you that make this project go. I fully intend to learn everything I can and to bring as much as possible here for all of you, as we all continue...
ONWARD!
Jimmy
5/16/19
In recent microbiome news...
The genetic inability to digest dairy products, present in 2/3 of the world's adult humans, may be able to be "bypassed" by altering the gut microbiome. CLICK HERE.
5/10/19
Sorry for the recent lack of updates...exam time! I know, no excuses...I'll do better. :)
Those of you that know me well know that two of my major interests involve the human microbiome (of course) and the importance of cultural awareness and inclusion. I seemed to enter these two "fields" through completely unrelated paths, BUT it has been fascinating to realize the dominant, common theme: Whether we are discussing an individual's gut microbiome, a community, or a school, lack of diversity is problematic. This fascinating report from the University of Minnesota assesses what happens to the microbiomes--and health--of individuals who come from Asia to the US. Our population may benefit from added cultural diversity, but the gut diversity of the immigrants suffers! CLICK HERE.
4/14/19
It seems that almost daily there is fascinating, exciting news relating to the microbiome. Please read this eye-opening report on the beneficial effects of fecal transplantation on children with autism. Thanks to Dr. Jim Sones for sharing with us!! CLICK HERE!
4/12/19
"Club Med," our school Biomedical group at Jackson Prep, was privileged today to have Dr. Daniel McDonald join us from UC-San Diego via remote teleconference. Daniel educated us on the largest ever citizen science project, American Gut, for which he serves as Scientific Director. We discussed the complexities of the human microbiome and the difficulties associated with attempting to understand such massive amounts of data. Over twenty of my classmates became members of halfhuman.org, with the opportunity to have their own microbiomes identified via American Gut!
3/14/19
What a privilege to spend time with two different microbiome related labs at Vanderbilt University today. Click HERE.
3/13/19
This new piece from the New York Times, linked in our "Change the World" blog, adds to the argument that we are too clean.
3/8/2019
I had a fascinating conversation with Dr. John Rawls, Director of the Duke University Microbiome Center. To read more, go HERE.
2/28/19
Thanks to Rob Knight and all the organizers for such an amazing experience here in San Diego at the first CMI International Microbiome Meeting! Click here for my reflections.
2/24/19
Dr. Jim Sones, who has just stepped down as Chief of the Digestive Diseases Department at University of Mississippi Medical Center, will be speaking at our Biomedical Club at school this Tuesday 2/26/19. Dr. Sones recently joined halfhuman.org and sent me the link that I have just now posted in the "Educate" blog. It is a great "lay person" summary of the human microbiome. Check it out!
2/22/19 UPDATE
Thank you all for the response to halfhuman.org. It has been overwhelming (at times, literally)!
We put this site online last fall and have generally been just "tinkering" while we line up the online "store" and I become more confident with the idea of a website, nonprofit, etc. We have not yet advertised the site, so those of you that have found your way here and joined our efforts, bought a t-shirt, or simply read or commented on the blog posts have done so on your own. I believe we are now ready to "go live" by being a little more aggressive about spreading the word. Any help with this will be appreciated and certainly lead to enhanced discussion on the blogs.
For those of you that have paid for microbiome sampling kits or t-shirts, thank you for your patience! The shirts are in (and look amazing), and the kits are on their way from San Diego!
A few of you emailed asking for a single spot on the website to be able to look for any new info or updates. This is the spot that will serve that function. At least once weekly, I plan to add updates of interest, direct you to new blog posts, etc.
Remember that this website is designed to serve as a source for exchange of ideas, not a one-way flow of information. Anyone who is interested in contributing should feel free to post comments or even serve as a guest blogger! Thanks again for being here!
Jimmy