New! Sign up for our email newsletter on Substack.

Video: Wild Mouse Gut Microbiota Promotes Host Fitness and Improves Disease Resistance

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) .


Did this article help you?

If you found this piece useful, please consider supporting our work with a small, one-time or monthly donation. Your contribution enables us to continue bringing you accurate, thought-provoking science and medical news that you can trust. Independent reporting takes time, effort, and resources, and your support makes it possible for us to keep exploring the stories that matter to you. Together, we can ensure that important discoveries and developments reach the people who need them most.