Microbiome (Audio)

Our bodies are dynamic ecosystems housing trillions of microbes that, while invisible to the naked eye, play a critical role in shaping human health. Scientists are beginning to understand the superpowers the microbiome holds.This program looks at how the microbiome helps balance immune responses and its influence on neurological disease. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38132]

Through the Earth Microbiome Program and complementary efforts, we have sampled a broad range of microbiomes from across the planet. All microbiomes that have been studied are impacted by human activity — the effects of industrialization on the human microbiome are best characterized, but capture of animals in zoos, domestication, modification of soils through agricultural practices, and modification of freshwater and marine microbiomes have also all been well characterized. Indeed, the pervasive role of environmental microbiomes in biogeochemical cycles necessary to sustain life led to a position paper entitled "Scientists’ warning to humanity: microorganisms and climate change”, the title of which speaks for itself. However, there is hope. Efforts such as the Microbiota Vault will be especially important in this respect, but also new monitoring and modeling approaches will help us understand where to look globally for the best specimens and microbes to preserve. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37909]

Our bodies are dynamic ecosystems housing trillions of microbes that, while invisible to the naked eye, play a critical role in shaping human health. Scientists are beginning to understand the superpowers the microbiome holds. In this program, Peter Turnbaugh, Ph.D., discusses how our gut microbes are the result of the food we eat, which in turn impacts our health. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38131]

Our bodies are dynamic ecosystems housing trillions of microbes that, while invisible to the naked eye, play a critical role in shaping human health. Scientists are just beginning to understand the superpowers the microbiome holds. In this program Marina Sirota, Ph.D., explains how to use artificial intelligence to study the microbiome and better understand health and disease across the lifespan. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38130]

Our bodies are dynamic ecosystems housing trillions of microbes that, while invisible to the naked eye, play a critical role in shaping human health. Scientists are beginning to understand the superpowers the microbiome holds. In this program, Susan Lynch, Ph.D., director of the Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine, explains research into the microbiome and how infant microbiomes influence childhood health. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38129]

Microbiome expands the genetic and functional capacity of its human host. Susan Lynch explores how the gut microbiome responds differently to a plant based diet and to an animal based diet. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 36151]

Infectious diseases have profound influences on the evolution of their host populations. In the case of humans, the host species has also shaped pathogen dynamics and virulence viaa multitude of factors from changes in social organization, group size, and exploitation of varied habitats and their animals and plant resources to agriculture, technology, rapid long-distance travel, medicine and global economic integration - which all continue to shape epidemics and the humanhost populations. This symposium will explore how infectious agents and humans have shaped each other over the eons. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 35843]

Microbiome expands the genetic and functional capacity of its human host. Susan Lynch explains that human microbiome develops early in life and that gut microbes shape immune function and relate to disease outcomes in childhood. She also explores next-generation microbiome therapeutics and research. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 35240]

Our lifespans are ever-increasing, but our healthspans are not, leading to long periods of unpleasant and expensive suffering with chronic conditions. Many of these conditions have recently been linked to the microbiome. We are constantly shaping our microbiomes through the foods we eat, the environments we experience, even the people we live and work with. Through the American Gut Project, the largest crowdsourced and crowdfunded citizen-science project yet conducted, we now know about the microbiomes of many types of people, from the healthiest to the sickest. Potentially real-time analysis of our microbiomes could guide our daily decisions in a way that optimizes our microbiomes for extending our healthspan. Although the potential benefits of such research are clear, what are the risks (e.g., privacy concerns) that need to be identified and addressed? Rob Knight, PhD explains. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 33713]

Food is medicine. That insight inspired the late rancher and developer Dick Krupp to endow one of the largest funds of its kind to support integrative nutrition research at UC San Diego. As Gordon Saxe, MD, the director of UCSD’s Center for Integrative Nutrition and others explain, the Krupp-funded projects focus on how diet and natural therapeutics can help reduce or cure common health problems. Among the projects featured – feeding cancer patients congee, a grain-based porridge to ease the side effects of chemotherapy, a study led by Caitlin Costello, MD, of the Moores Cancer Center. Also, Sanjay Agarwal, MD, looks at the impact of a healthy diet on women who suffer from endometriosis. And finally, Robert Weinreb, MD, the director of the Shiley Eye Institute, introduces a new field of medicine called Integrative Ophthalmology. All agree: what you eat matters!

Series: "UCTV Prime" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 33133]