Guts or Glory

The bacteria in our guts are often friendly – to us that is, but perhaps not to each other. Our health depends on our gut flora, which is disturbed at the heart of many diseases. But here’s the thing – not much is known about how different microbes manage to live side by side. In these zebrafish intestines, blue coloured Vibrio cholerae bacteria battle for territory with another species, Aeromonas veronii. It’s actually the host who settles the score – when the fish’s guts contract, V. cholerae are much better at clinging on than A. veronii, which are unceremoniously purged (shown in a video here). To picture this bacterial warfare without interfering required gentle, but precise light sheet microscopy. Investigating how the gut’s nervous system affects different bacteria may provide clues to tackling human disorders like Hirschsprung's disease.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Travis J. Wiles and Matthew Jemielita, and colleagues
• University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
• Image originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Research published in PLOS Biology, July 2016