Microbiome
September 15, 2020
Mayo scientists develop mathematical index to distinguish healthy microbiome from diseased
By Susan Murphy 
What causes some people to develop chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and metabolic syndrome while others stay healthy? A major clue could be found in their gut microbiome — the trillions of microbes living inside the digestive system that regulate various bodily functions. To utilize the huge population of tiny organisms as a […]
Tags: bacteria, Gut Microbiome, individualized medicine, Microbiome Program
September 10, 2020
Mayo researcher finds potential microbial pathway to treat IBS symptoms, lessen abdominal pain
By Susan Murphy
Mayo Clinic researchers have found new evidence linking the millions of bacteria residing in our digestive systems, known as the microbiome, to a network of factors that drive irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The findings, published in the Sept. 10, 2020 issue of Cell, raise the possibility of targeting the newly discovered microbial pathways to improve […]
Tags: individualized medicine, irritable bowel syndrome, microbiome, multi-omics
April 25, 2020
Why do diseases such as COVID-19 and cancer hit some people harder than others?
By Susan Murphy
As the nation marks DNA Day on April 25 — commemorating the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953 and the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 — Mayo Clinic researcher Nicholas Chia, Ph.D., continues to search for answers to the question of why some people are more susceptible to getting a severe […]
Tags: cancer genomics, DNA, genomics, microbiome, rare disease
December 11, 2019
In a first, researchers sequence single bacterial cells, paving path for rapid sepsis test
By Susan Murphy
For the first time, Mayo Clinic researchers are sequencing the genomic contents of single bacterial cells. The technique may pave the way for a potential lifesaving test for sepsis, a serious and sometimes deadly condition caused by the body’s response to an infection. Rather than waiting for days to identify the source of a patient’s […]
Tags: #sepsis, bacteria, bacterial cells, Genome Sequencing, individualized medicine
April 2, 2019
Purna Kashyap, M.B.B.S. – testing the bugs within to maintain health, detect and treat disease
By Sharon Rosen 
The use of microbiome testing – which analyzes the trillions of bacteria in and on the body – is on the move. It’s going from the research lab into the clinic to help guide patient care. DNA testing technologies have revolutionized researchers’ ability to identify individual bacterial strains driving disease. Now genomic testing is helping […]
Tags: #blood sugar levels, #Center for Individualized Medicine Microbiome Program, #diabetes, #digestive health, #glucose levels, #inflammatory bowel disease, #obesity, #personalized diet, c. difficile, center for individualized medicine, colorectal cancer, Dr. Purna Kashyap
March 5, 2019
By Sharon Rosen
Space-age technologies, DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence – all tools for discovery that Nicholas Chia, Ph.D. and his team are using to push the envelope and improve care for complex diseases like colorectal cancer. They’re collaborating with scientists from NASA to uncover how the microbiome – the trillions of microbes in and on the body […]
Tags: #ecology, #genomic testing, #Kidney stones, #microbial ecology, #systems biology, bacteria, colorectal cancer, DNA Sequencing, Dr. Nicholas Chia, gut bacteria, mayo clinic, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine
February 8, 2019
Personalized diets: foods shaped to your lifestyle, genetics and gut
Have you ever wondered why some people can eat all they want and never gain weight while others exercise and watch what they eat but still can’t shed a pound? The clue may lie partly in your gut microbiome, the complex community of bacteria within the digestive tract that is genetically different in each person. […]
Tags: #blood glucose, #diabetes, #Dr. Vivek Iyer, #obesity, #personalized diet, #personalized nutrition, #weight loss, Dr. Helena Mendes Soares, Dr. Purna Kashyap, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine
January 7, 2019
What do Yellowstone rocks teach us about kidney stones?
Mayo Clinic researchers are turning to Yellowstone National Park to unlock the secrets of kidney stones. Medical science long has been mystified by a cause and cure for this painful condition that affects more than 1 in 10 Americans. Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine and NASA Astrobiology Institute research finds kidney stones grow in dynamic […]
Tags: #Kidney stones, #NASA Astrobiology Institute, #Yellowstone National Park, Dr. Nicholas Chia, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, microbiome
December 17, 2018
Probiotics: one size does not fit all
The allure of probiotics can be hard to resist. Popular belief holds that when you take probiotics in a pill, powder or food, you boost your gut health with a powerful antidote to digestive diseases. But what exactly are probiotics, and how do you separate truth from theory? What does the research say? Purna Kashyap, […]
Tags: #digestive diseases, #Digestive disorders, #digestive system, #gut health, #probiotics, Dr. Purna Kashyap, Gut Microbiome, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine
October 10, 2018
The right diet for you… or for your gut microbes?
Article by Sara Tiner The right diet, obesity and gut health are topics patients, clinicians and scientists wrestle with every day. We want to eat a good diet and lose weight or avoid weight gain, so our health span matches our life span. But statistics suggest we struggle. To help, scientists are examining how […]
Tags: #CIMCon18, #personalized diet, #personalized nutrition, Dr. Purna Kashyap, Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, microbiome