Watch this video to learn about the effects of transferring gut microbiota from wild mice to laboratory mice.
Scientists from the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases led research which found that transferring the gut microbes from wild mice to laboratory mice promotes fitness and significantly improves responses to an otherwise lethal flu virus infection and to colorectal cancer. By making lab mice more closely mirror real-world mice, this approach may improve the odds of success as research moves from mouse to man.
Watch the video above describing the method used, which could help advance studies in metabolism, behavior, and endocrinology. Read more by viewing the article published in the journal Cell (PDF, 7.8 MB) .