Month: November 2018

As the head of a funding agency, I would be most excited to fund a research project regarding the relationship between the microbiome and the onset of heart disease. This is because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world (it accounts for 15.5% of deaths) and has been for the past 80 years. If we could perform studies to deeply understand how the microbiome affects heart disease, we may be able to come up with a cure. This may allow us to treat this disease by treating elements of the microbiome that contribute to its onset.

Part I

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Alzheimer’s disease
• IBS
• Cardiovascular disease
• Many cancers
• Crohn’s disease

Part II

During week 1 I could only think of obesity, IBS and autoimmune disorders. I wasn’t sure exactly how the microbiome related to any of these but I knew that microorganisms worked with the body to help perform functions and that if certain microorganisms are lacking or unable to do their job, it might result in disease. This still holds true in my mind, but I have a much better understanding of this system. Additionally, I now have a longer list of diseases that may result from microbiome disruptions. Overall I now have a solid grasp on the importance of the microbiome and how the microbiome impacts overall health.

1. Can experiments detect differences that matter?: It is important to be able to spot differences between closely related species, strains, sequences, etc. or else conclusions may not be accurate or may miss important clues.
2. Does the study show causation or correlation?: Two factors may be correlated (the presence/absence of one is directly associated with the presence/absence of the other) but that does not automatically mean that there is causation between the factors (the presence/absence of one causes the presence/absence of the other). It is important for readers to know the difference between correlation and causation.
3. What is the mechanism?: How was the experiment designed, carried out and measured? Readers should be able to understand the design and interpretation of the experiment.
4. How much do experiments reflect reality?: What were the conditions under which the experiment was carried out? Readers must analyze this information to see how reliable the results are and how well they could be applied to real world situations. For instance, if the experiment involves a small population or a non-diverse population, it should probably be taken with a grain of salt until further research is carried out.
5. Could anything else explain the results?: What are the alternative hypotheses? Readers should consider other possible answers before drawing any major conclusions from the results.

I think that for discussing controversy, the most important of these is causation vs. correlation. Many controversies stem around this question and exploring this topic more thoroughly may lead to greater insight.

Studies have shown that the human microbiome may actually play a very crucial role in the brain and mental health states. It is now understood that there are signaling pathways between the brain and gut microbiome which makes sense because feelings of distress/anxiousness are often accompanied by a stomach ache. A healthy, diverse microbiome may promote healthier mental states and reduce the risk of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, etc. For instance, a healthy human microbiome may help the brain respond to different emotional stimuli in a healthier way. Brain and mental health states may influence microbial communities as well. A healthy mental health state may encourage healthier life choices/habits.

I found the peer review process to be very beneficial from both sides. For instance, as I read and critiqued the work of other students, it helped me better understand the elements my own work may be lacking and how I should adjust my paper. I also found it beneficial to read the comments from my reviewers as they provided different perspectives and ideas of how I can better my paper. I learned that there are parts of my paper that can be cut out because they aren’t really necessary and parts of my paper that I should expand on.

The peer review process is intended to help the author of an article better their work before it is submitted to the public. Basically, individuals who work in the same field will read the author’s work very closely and offer suggestions/critiques/ways to enhance the work before it is published. The author can then use this feedback to revise their work. The benefit of this process is that peers are able to look at the work with “fresh eyes” and catch anything that may not make sense to the public before the author publishes the work. The downside is that peers will typically have the same knowledge set as the author so they may not realize that certain terms/topics are too technical for the general public to understand.

Behaviors that contribute to decreased microbe exposure

-Frequent hand washing

-Use of hand sanitizer

-Use of cleaning/sanitizing supplies

-Avoidance of dirt/mud

-Frequent showering

-Antibiotic use

-Overuse of chemicals