Canadian scientists used new high-throughput gene sequencing technology to
characterize the gut microbiota of 24 healthy infants from the CHILD birth cohort.
DNA sequencing allowed bacteria that are difficult to culture to be included in the survey. There were significant differences in bacterial species between infants, especially those who were formula-fed or born by cesarean delivery. Although any antibiotic use was recorded for most patients, the small sample size made it difficult to investigate how antibiotics may have influenced the differences observed.
Swallowed capsules provide an alternative to endoscopes for gastrointestinal imaging. However, capsules produce lower resolution images and so are unsuitable for many investigations.
A new tethered capsule has been developed, which retains many of the benefits of capsules while providing cross-sectional microscopic images of the gut wall at 30μm × 7 μm resolution.
The new tethered capsule can rapidly provide three-dimensional, microstructural images of the upper gastrointestinal tract in a simple and painless procedure, opening up new opportunities for screening for internal diseases.