Researchers from the University of Chicago have developed a high-throughput RNA sequencing strategy to study the activity of the gut microbiome. The new tools analyze transfer RNA (tRNA), a molecular Rosetta Stone that translates the genetic information encoded in DNA into proteins that perform basic biological functions. Developing a clear picture of tRNA dynamics will allow scientists to understand the activity of naturally occurring microbiomes, and study their responses to environmental changes, such as varying temperatures or changing availability of nutrients. In a new study published in Nature Communications, a team of scientists led by Tao Pan, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, and A. Murat Eren, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at UChicago, demonstrated the application of tRNA sequencing to gut microbiome samples from mice that were fed either a low-fat or high-fat diet.
More information: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/microbiome-articles/2018/december/new-rna-sequencing-strategy-provides-insight-into-microbiomes
Originally published in The Forefront, 12/21/2018