Findings from Washington University in Bacteroides Reported (Inducible Crispr- Targeted "knockdown" of Human Gut Bacteroides In Gnotobiotic Mice Discloses Glycan Utilization Strategies).

A report from Washington University discusses the findings of a study on the utilization of glycans by human gut bacteria. The researchers used an inducible CRISPR-based system to temporarily reduce the abundance of specific Bacteroides species in mice. This resulted in the emergence of other Bacteroidaceae species that were able to compensate for the reduction and maintain glycan utilization. The study provides insights into the mechanisms of microbial community robustness and may contribute to the development of microbiota-directed therapeutics. [Extracted from the article]