Publications by authors named "Camille Nina Allonsius"

The human vagina is a unique microbiome, typically predominated by Lactobacillus species in healthy women. However, we currently lack an understanding of why lactobacilli predominate in this environment and how these bacteria interact, aspects that are crucial for developing microbiome-based therapeutics. In this study, we used cost-efficient synthetic communities (SynComs) to investigate the stability and dynamics of Lactobacillus-predominated vaginal communities from healthy women independent of host influence.

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The human skin microbiome plays an essential role in protecting against pathogens and other external substances. This open ecosystem is also influenced by personal and environmental factors, but the precise impact of these factors, such as lifestyle and season, is understudied. We focused here on the inner elbow, a skin site prone to inflammatory conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

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  • * A study using advanced sequencing techniques found that the skin microbiome in mild AD does not significantly differ in diversity from non-AD patients, and the presence of Staphylococcus aureus remains similar in both groups.
  • * However, certain bacteria were found in higher or lower abundances in mild AD lesions, suggesting that understanding these differences could lead to new diagnostic tools and treatments to help manage this condition early on.
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Strategies against the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans based on probiotic microorganisms represent a promising alternative to traditional antifungals. Here, we investigated the effects of Lactobacillaceae isolates from fermented foods or the human vagina, alone or in combination with the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856, against C. albicans in vitro.

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  • Understanding the vaginal microbiome’s composition and function is vital for women's reproductive health, and the Isala citizen-science project analyzed samples from over 3,300 women in Belgium to explore this.
  • The study found that age, childbirth, and menstrual cycle phase significantly influenced the vaginal microbiome, with Lactobacillus species present in 78% of samples.
  • The research established connections between different bacterial groups and various health factors, like estrogen levels, contraceptive use, and lifestyle choices, creating a comprehensive resource for future clinical studies.
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The salivary microbiome has been proven to play a crucial role in local and systemic diseases. Moreover, the effects of biological and lifestyle factors such as oral hygiene and smoking on this microbial community have already been explored. However, what was not yet well understood was the natural variation of the saliva microbiome in healthy women and how this is associated with specific use of hormonal contraception and with the number of different sexual partners with whom microbiome exchange is expected regularly.

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  • Research discusses how current global climate models are based on air temperatures but fail to capture the soil temperatures beneath vegetation where many species thrive.
  • New global maps present soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at 1-km resolution for specific depths, revealing that mean annual soil temperatures can differ significantly from air temperatures by up to 10°C.
  • The findings indicate that relying on air temperature could misrepresent climate impacts on ecosystems, especially in colder regions, highlighting the need for more precise soil temperature data for ecological studies.
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  • * The study combined various methods, such as genomics and functional characterization, to analyze a specific strain, AMBR11, found in healthy noses, which demonstrated antimicrobial properties and reduced inflammation in airway epithelial cells.
  • * AMBR11 also showed protective effects on nasal barrier function in mice, suggesting its potential as a beneficial live biotherapeutic product for improving nasal health.
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While bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a well-known type of vaginal dysbiosis, aerobic vaginitis (AV) is an inflammatory condition that remains understudied and under-recognised. It predisposes women to serious complications including urogenital infections and pregnancy problems. Here, we investigated the bacterial community in AV to explore its possible role in AV pathogenesis.

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  • * The study tested three specific strains of Lactobacillus in a vaginal gel on 20 women with acute VVC over four weeks, observing their microbiome through various scientific methods.
  • * Results showed that 45% of women treated with the probiotic gel did not need additional medication, and their fungal levels were comparable to those treated with fluconazole, suggesting probiotic lactobacilli may be effective without harming beneficial vaginal bacteria as azoles do.
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Plant-based fermentations and their microbes provide an underexplored source for novel biotechnological applications. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies and analyses of sequencing data highlight that a diverse array of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) frequently dominate these plant fermentations. Because of the long history of safe LAB use in fermented foods, we argue here that various novel probiotic, synbiotic and a range of other industrial applications can be produced based on new insights in the functional and genetic potential of these LAB.

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Background: The popularity of Galleria mellonella as invertebrate model is increasing rapidly, because it forms an attractive alternative to study bacterial, fungal and viral infections, toxin biology, and to screen antimicrobial drugs. For a number of vertebrate and invertebrate animal and plant models, it has been established that the commensals present within the microbial communities on various host surfaces will influence the host's immune and growth development state and the colonization capacity of newly introduced micro-organisms. The microbial communities of Galleria mellonella larvae have, however, not yet been well characterized.

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The genus is known to be extremely diverse and consists of different phylogenetic groups that show a diversity that is roughly equal to the expected diversity of a typical bacterial genus. One of the most prominent phylogenetic groups within this genus is the group, which contains the understudied species. Before this study, only one strain, DSM 28402, had been described, but without whole-genome analysis.

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Lactobacilli have been evaluated as probiotics against Candida infections in several clinical trials, but with variable results. Predicting and understanding the clinical efficacy of Lactobacillus strains is hampered by an overall lack of insights into their modes of action. In this study, we aimed to unravel molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of lactobacilli on hyphal morphogenesis, which is a crucial step in C.

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