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Guts or Glory
26 September 2016

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

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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