Some studies suggest that even while helping fight certain infections, those drugs may encourage others by wiping out an infant's developing gut microbiome — those trillions of resident microbes with functions as diverse as synthesizing vitamins and bolstering our immune systems. (sciencemag.org)
So every time we grab a glass of juice or type out an email, we leave our fingerprints, and a shmear of our own resident microbes. (scientificamerican.com)
Investigating further, the team showed that PHR1 — and probably to a lesser extent PHL1 — not only activates the phosphate stress response but also triggers a pattern of gene expression that reduces immune activity, and thus makes it easier for resident microbes to survive. (sciencedaily.com)