Happy to share our latest publication! 🧪🧠 doi.org/10.1111/ejn.... We found that brief, repeated isoflurane anaesthesia, a common feature of many longitudinal preclinical studies, can induce significant behavioural, vascular and neuroimmune effects in adult mice...

Queen Mary has received a £1.3m Wolfson Foundation grant to establish a Health and Pollution Research Hub. Led by Dr Vahitha Abdul Salam and Dr Abish Stephen, the Hub will explore how pollution impacts health. Read more: www.qmul.ac.uk/news/latest-...

Queen Mary awarded prestigious grant to better understand links between pollution and health

qmul.ac.uk

Science sleuths say the doctored Western blots uncovered so far are likely the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and greater transparency & accountability is needed moving forward. @elisabethbik.bsky.social @reeserichardson.bsky.social @sholtodavid.bsky.social www.chemistryworld.com/news/thermo-...

Thermo Fisher antibody data manipulation is a breach of trust, say researchers

Science sleuths say the problem is impacting research progress and Thermo's response falls short

chemistryworld.com

Our latest paper is out, looks at hormones in Alzheimer's Disease please see as open access publication link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Steroid hormones in Alzheimer’s disease: a molecular analysis of blood and cerebrospinal fluid - Alzheimer's Research & Therapy

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) disproportionately affects women, yet existing studies have been limited to single biofluids, individual hormones, or single dementia subtypes, leaving sex-stratifi...

link.springer.com

Integrated epidemiology and toxicology reveals the protective effects of TMAO against chemical neurotoxicity in children https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.02.26357012v1

TMAO is a major component of fish. It protected against effects of mercury (a common environmental contaminant of fish) in our in vitro model. /5

In a 3D in vitro human cell model, TMAO activated synaptogenesis-related gene expression. /4

Cohort study of childhood mental health (N=1,203) - TMAO was associated with fewer internalising problems. Its precursor microbial metabolite trimethylamine was associated with more behavioural problems in the cohort and an independent longitudinal study from 1-15 years of age (N=630-820). /3

Our previous work showed that TMAO supplementation protects the blood-brain barrier in vitro (human cells) and barrier function and cognition in vivo (mice). Here we show the positive neural effects of TMAO extend to humans. /2

First of our (@drsimonmcarthur.bsky.social) papers from the ATHLETE exposome study. Integrated epidemiology and toxicology reveals the protective effects of TMAO against chemical neurotoxicity in children /1

Integrated epidemiology and toxicology reveals the protective effects of TMAO against chemical neurotoxicity in children

Interest in microbiota-host co-metabolism and the effects of its derived co-metabolites on biological processes is increasing rapidly. In addition to their demonstrated associations with mammalian met...

medrxiv.org

Our new findings emphasise the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate associations and potential pathways of microbiota-host co-metabolites (endogenous) and environmental (exogenous) metabolites on neurodevelopment in #exposome studies. #microbiome #gutbrainaxis

Professor Lesley Hoyles@bugsinyourguts.bsky.social · 2mo ago

First of our (@drsimonmcarthur.bsky.social) papers from the ATHLETE exposome study. Integrated epidemiology and toxicology reveals the protective effects of TMAO against chemical neurotoxicity in children /1

Excited to share the latest one from the lab led by José Solano @jolusolo.bsky.social who explored how early life #stress impacts the mouse 🐭 brain 🧠 vasculature Science 🧪🔬 can be surprising & 2x stress can induce beneficial adaptations leading to resilience, phew! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

New findings indicate that blood markers linked to gut bacteria may help identify early cognitive decline, potentially enabling earlier detection of dementia before symptoms appear. doi.org/hbvkm7

Simple blood test could spot dementia years earlier, research shows

A blood test could help identify people at higher risk of cognitive decline years before a traditional diagnosis is possible—according to University of East Anglia research published in the journal Gut Microbes.

medicalxpress.com

Excited to present our latest paper, led by @dvauzour.bsky.social and Dr Emily Connell. We have promising data showing that a pattern of microbe-derived metabolites can distinguish early stage cognitive impairment in humans. doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2649487 🧪🧠🦠 #microbiome #gutbrainaxis

Circulatory dietary and gut-derived metabolites predict early cognitive decline

A key component of disease prevention is the identification of at-risk individuals. Microbial dysbiosis in the early stages of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can modulate the le...

doi.org

Key takeaway: 🧠 Shifts in “good” vs “toxic” metabolites may signal early disease risk 🧪 Machine learning identified a 6-metabolite signature 🔬 Potential pathway toward non-invasive screening tools @ueamedical.bsky.social @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social @ukgibanetwork.bsky.social

What if a simple blood test could help detect early cognitive decline? Our latest study shows that microbe-derived metabolites shaped by the gut microbiome can distinguish early-stage cognitive impairment with promising accuracy.

Circulatory dietary and gut-derived metabolites predict early cognitive decline

A key component of disease prevention is the identification of at-risk individuals. Microbial dysbiosis in the early stages of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can modulate the le...

tandfonline.com

@qmul.bsky.social @bartscharity.bsky.social Doctoral Training Programme - five fully funded 4 year PhD Studentships in Biomedical Research. Closing date for applications: Monday March 16th 2026 Please share - more info here: www.findaphd.com/phds/program...

FindAPhD : Queen Mary University of London: Barts Charity Doctoral Training Programme at Queen Mary University of London

Apply for a PhD: Queen Mary University of London: Barts Charity Doctoral Training Programme at Queen Mary University of London

findaphd.com

Fully Funded PhD Studentship Opportunity (4 years) at Queen Mary, University of London Why is gum disease a risk factor for dementia? Come and help us find out! 🗓 Application deadline: 15th May 2026 Apply here: tinyurl.com/4xvdzpjs Please share! #Microbiome #Dementia #neuroskyence 🧪 1/3

Oral–systemic links: periodontal microbes and the blood-brain barrier at Queen Mary University of London on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Oral–systemic links: periodontal microbes and the blood-brain barrier at Queen Mary University of London, listed on FindAPhD.com

tinyurl.com

Very pleased this is now published - led by Dr Emily Connell & @dvauzour.bsky.social, we show that a Mediterranean diet-inspired supplement can improve disease signs in an Alzheimer's mouse model, acting via the gut microbiota www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... 🧪🧠 #gutbrainaxis #meddiet

A novel Mediterranean diet-inspired supplement reduces hippocampal amyloid deposits and microglial activation through the modulation of the microbiota gut-brain axis in 5xFAD mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is projected to increase in prevalence, heightening the need for strategies to alleviate its neuropathological burden. The bioactive constituents of a Mediterranean-style d...

tandfonline.com

🚨 GIBA Network+ Fellowships now open! We are funding early-career awards, up to £500k each, for ambitious, interdisciplinary research on gut-immune-brain axis (GIBA) mechanisms across the life-course. 🗓️ Apply by 15 April 2026 👉 www.giba-uk.org/funding-oppo...

How does your Christmas Dinner shape your gut, brain and immunity? 🎄🍽️ Join us for Feast for Thought – a festive deep dive for all with short talks and questions on food & health! 📅 11th Dec, 7pm-8pm 🎟️ Book now: feast-for-thought.eventbrite.com #GutHealth #BrainFood #ChristmasDinner

I wrote about the recent autism-microbiome paper, why I think it's the most important microbiome paper this year, and what it says about the field open.substack.com/pub/blekhman...

The Autism-Microbiome Hypothesis Is Falling Apart

Why this new review paper should be required reading for every microbiome researcher

open.substack.com

You're a parasitic ant queen eyeing the colony of another species. You have a simple plan: 1. Hide your scent by rubbing workers on your body 2. Infiltrate the nest 3. Spray the queen with chemicals that goad her daughters into tearing her to bits 4. All hail the usurper! (my latest for CNN) 🧪

Parasitic ant queen chemically manipulates workers into killing their mother | CNN

Scientists newly described how a parasitic ant queen infiltrates another ant species’ colony and tricks the workers into killing their mother.

cnn.com

Wow 'MHRA-led study reveals major inconsistencies in global microbiome research' www.gov.uk/government/n... 'Species identification varied from 63% to 100% accuracy across different methods, meaning that some laboratories failed to detect a third of the bacterial species present in the sample'

MHRA-led study reveals major inconsistencies in global microbiome research

International collaboration establishes new quality standards to improve reliability of gut health studies – improving accuracy to provide better diagnosis and treatment.

gov.uk

I came to this country as a child refugee. No English, no certainty, no idea what my life could become. Britain gave me refuge. Not on a timer, not with conditions attached, but with a chance to grow roots. A thread 🧵 1/8 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays

Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.

bbc.co.uk

Claims that autism could be caused by problems with the gut microbiome have caught media attention but some microbiologists are sceptical trib.al/fgv5oLv

The link between the gut #microbiome and autism is not backed by science, researchers say. Read the full opinion piece in @cp-neuron.bsky.social: spkl.io/63322AbxpA @wiringthebrain.bsky.social, @statsepi.bsky.social, & @deevybee.bsky.social

Two postdoc positions open now: let's work together to understand microbial regulation of the gut-brain axis in ageing: buff.ly/UuJciHZ buff.ly/vjp98fx

New paper with @statsepi.bsky.social and @deevybee.bsky.social in which we show there's really no evidence for a link between the gut microbiome and autism www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...

Conceptual and methodological flaws undermine claims of a link between the gut microbiome and autism

Claims that the gut microbiome causally contributes to autism regularly appear in the scientific literature and popular press. Mitchell et al. critically examine influential studies underpinning these...

cell.com

📣 Join us for the 2025 @isbscience.org Virtual Microbiome Symposium, focused on "Gut Microbial Metabolites and Their Impact on Host Systems". co-director - @flash-point.bsky.social 🦠💥 It's free, & we have an amazing line-up of speakers! Dec. 12th. Please share! isbscience.org/2025-isb-vir...

2025 ISB Virtual Microbiome Symposium - Institute for Systems Biology (ISB)

Symposium Schedule All presentation times are shown in Pacific Daylight Time (GMT -07:00 / UTC -07:00) Time Talk / Session 9:00 Welcoming remarks by Sid Venkatesh Session One: Neural Effects

isbscience.org