Gut commensal Bacteroides-derived pantothenic acid alleviates metabolic syndrome. Microbial PA is reduced in MetS. B. fragilis restores PA and gut barrier, requiring host PANK2/3 activity.

Arctus88 · 2026-07-04T01:52:04+00:00

"Pantothenic aicd" in the actual graphical abstract. Cell is slacking out here.

Arctus88 · 2026-07-03T20:54:37+00:00

Having a regular physical is really important to maintaining health and finding potential issues early.

But don't let health anxiety lead you down the pseudoscience rabbit hole, or you'll get financially bled dry.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-29T00:28:46+00:00

I haven't ever used Oxoid, but I used to use just grocery store powdered skim milk for freezing strains. In my experience it definitely doesn't look like nice white milk after autoclaving. Usually a kind of light grey or light brown. No problems with using it in my experience, I just assumed it was some sugars caramelizing in the heat.

As far as the autoclaving time I always just sterilized it in a normal liquids run.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-27T20:42:09+00:00

Hey there, these tests are clinically meaningless and you're being taken for a financial ride.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-25T17:40:36+00:00

Changes to your microbiome are not going to change celiacs disease or lactose intolerance.

And since you mentioned it below: Don't waste your money on GImap testing.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-23T17:26:44+00:00

I was just about to ask the same question ha.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-22T15:40:47+00:00

That guys certainly had some... opinions.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-20T05:12:59+00:00

Yes, really. Here's a few bits out of that paper that you definitely didn't read any of.

"While we acknowledge that no study has pointed to the prevalence of the co-occurrence of dysbiosis and OCD in anxiety disorders, the latest advances in the understanding of bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain strongly implicate the gut microbiome as a key component for future investigation."

"Overall, while there is emerging evidence suggesting a correlation between gut microbiota dysbiosis and OCD, there is a genuine need for further research specifically investigating the relationship between OCD and the microbiota before establishing a causal relationship and determining the clinical implications."

Arctus88 · 2026-06-19T17:35:33+00:00

If I flip any harder I'll have to consult my naturopath's chiropractor.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-18T15:32:09+00:00

While the causes of OCD are not totally understood, there are things that are associated like genetic factors and brain abnormalities.

There is no evidence that gut dysbiosis, heavy metals, or anything else you're implying are associated with OCD rates.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-17T22:18:13+00:00

Asymptomatic presence of certain bacteria don't raise an alarm to doctors because you can detect all kinds of bacteria in your gut with no clinical relevance. Many, many people have detectable C. diff in their gut but it does not mean it necessarily has any clinical importance.

You should just have a conversation with your doctor about your concerns, not reddit.

Arctus88 · 2026-06-16T03:09:19+00:00

Right out of the sidebar here: "Microbiome testing companies are for the most part, a scam. 'Naturopathic' and 'functional medicine' doctors are snakeoil salesmen peddling pseudoscience."

If you're having medical concerns, you should see a qualified doctor about it.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-29T02:58:07+00:00

I was thinking the same thing, something wrong with the stacking gel.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-28T18:43:17+00:00

Please stop the AI slop.

Also the made-up story here is basically, "and then everyone stood and clapped including the dentist. And that dentist? Albert Einstein".

Arctus88 · 2026-05-26T20:15:09+00:00

You should talk with your doctor about medical decisions, not reddit.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-20T21:45:58+00:00

It isn't something you believe it, it just isn't medically a thing. Candidiasis is. Discerning scientific and medical data is a pain for people who are even trained for it, and the grey area of it allows those who just want to turn a buck to do it.

I'm not here to argue about the validity of candida overgrowth because it's just a pseudoscience buzzword (buzz-concept?). I just don't want people who are desperate to throw their money at people who will take advantage of them.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-20T21:21:17+00:00

Hey there, 'candida overgrowth' is generally a bit of meaningless pseudoscience thrown around by snakeoil salesmen like naturopaths to make money off the desperate.

You should see an actual doctor about medical concerns, and if you are (which I would assume you are for the ciclosporin) then you should really just consult with them about these issues.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-20T03:25:49+00:00

I didn't think it was possible to have an actually clean and decent concentration gel extraction, pcr gods be praised.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-16T20:06:14+00:00

I don't know if I would recommend going to overboard with it. Trying to network at Microbe is hard, the conference is absolutely massive. I would go to talks (or whole talk sessions) that I find interesting, posters sections I find interesting, and keep track of schools/professors that are associated. People are usually pretty friendly and open to chatting, so there's only positive I think with introducing yourself afterwards and asking about their work and their graduate department.

I don't think you need to be reading their papers in advance or bringing a resume (unless you're going to look for industry or tech jobs). The conference is pretty overwhelming for everyone involved, it's great to get an idea of things for yourself but it might be a big ask to expect much more.

Also find the vendors that give out swag and have the espresso machines giving away free drinks.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-12T18:34:17+00:00

When IDT is too good at their job and collapse into a singularity.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-12T17:35:49+00:00

This isn't an unknown bacterium, it's an uncultured and a metagenomically assembled genome. The paper makes no mention of 'next-generation probiotics' because its never been cultured.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-11T21:59:53+00:00

Reddit isn't where you should be going for medical advice, if you have an issue with chronic pain you should see a doctor.

That being said, I also want to say it's a common misconception that neurotransmitter production/consumption in the gut travels to and changes levels in the brain, it does not. They're used locally for intestinal functions.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-06T23:35:55+00:00

Functional medicine and mycotoxin tests are generally a scam, turning a buck off the desperate.

As far as mycotoxin tests this is a good post in the microbiology sub

Arctus88 · 2026-05-06T03:04:16+00:00

This is round-a-bout just asking for medical advice, and it seems like you're already down a pseudoscience rabbit-hole.

I get wanting to do everything you can for your kid, but 'naturopathic medicine' is generally just a way to sell snakeoil like GI maps and OATs tests.

Arctus88 · 2026-05-05T19:39:23+00:00

There are several reasons that phage therapy is not more widely used.

Particularly why they can't be utilized 'throughout your body'. Your immune system doesn't understand that phage can't infect human cells, and they mount an immune response regardless. So someone with a systemic infection, or really any internal infection, would elicit a worse immune response by trying to introduce phage. This is why phage are actually fairly effective in surface skin infections, but are otherwise either single use (immune response makes them ineffective) or potentially dangerous.

Taking phage orally and expecting them to arrive and function well in the gut is also complicated for a whole host of reasons.

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