more microbes than cells in our bodies ??!

Today I walked a bit with ALR downtown. We stopped at one bus station... when a woman was quite curious.. but a little nervous about my size. ALR asked... "Do you want to say Hello"... the woman was nervous so I put on my best calmest, non-confrontational no eye contact, non-committal stance. And slowly she warmed to me, and slowly let me even investigate her face with a light purple lipstick and purple eye shadow to accentuate her lovely black skin.

This week in Nature "Insights into the phylogeny and coding potential of microbial dark matter", Rinke et al., sequenced about 200 single-cell genomes of 29 major and mostly uncharacterized branches in the Tree of Life.  But more interesting to me - sorry Rinke et al.. - was the National Public Radio  discussion of our personal microbiome.   You see, I am aware that in humans.. there are more microbes on your body than cells in your body, and well...  if you look after you personal microbial family, like I look after all my friends and people, and my person, ALR, then we will all be healthier.  When I was young, I was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.   I think we're still not clear if it was an extreme infestation of Clostridium difficile or my microbiome showing an allergic response to something... like stress..  Now ALR's PhD thesis was on a nicer microbe called Clostridium acetobutylicum, so she knows something about this obligate anaerobic group of Bacteria, but she also understands how allergies or stress can imbalance the microbial ecosystem of our bodies. And together over the years she and I have managed whatever microbial imbalance I was born with. I clearly don't do well with grains, although I love chicken, any amounts will set the bowels moving... so ALR makes me eat only certain things, unless I sneak in something here or there. I do love vegetables. Broccoli, brussel sprouts, berries, apples.. cherries, oranges, bananas... so maybe in some past life I was a vegan.

So on this matter of the microbiome...  let me tell you about another recent paper in Nature. magazine. . "Antibiotic treatment expands the resistance reservoir and ecological network of the phage metagenome", Modi et al. July 11 2013, Nature. 499:219
Ok.. later. I need to sniff here a bit. more interesting for now. May be some dog who has no good intentions!

Happy Birthday Nelson! 18 July

I am a bit busy today, swimming, and staying cool in the Oregon sun, but I hear it can get quite a bit hotter in South Africa. I hope one day I can meet you , Nelson Mandela. I think you and I would be great friends. Dogs ... you know .. only see good in people. We believe, some day we dogs win  over people and other dogs. Nelson, -you did the same, and after many dog lives, much sacrifice, you almost miraculously..  helped transition South Africa... Trust is something we dogs know a lot about. And Nelson, you were able to provide that leadership to help build trust in humanity and forgiveness.   I think they still need a lot more Mandelas and Leonbergers. in the world.  I hear there is only one Leonberger family in Cape Town.   But maybe it's because we get confused with lions.

Happy Birthday Nelson.!  I do hope I can meet you some day, My ALR would also like to. When asked who she most admires in this world.. you are first, and then me. So... seems we have to meet! Licks.

I know you will always be there.
Tinka

What Dogmatix and I had in common this past week

Well- like Dogmatix, in the movie version of "Astérix et Obélix: God save Britannia", I couldn't go to China with my person. Dogmatix didnt go with Obelix to London. But like Asterix and Obelix, we will no doubt hear some of the China adventures in my blogspot.   You see.. my person's grandfather lived in Shanghai for a while in the early 1900's.. and when her very very best friend died, her mom, my person had just landed in Beijing, China. And her hosts were very kind and generous to her during that time.  So, there are strong bonds for my person in China.  I don't think there is a Leonberger in China, but my person did see an English sheep dog in Kunming, Yunnan Province.  Must be one lonely sheepdog! Not many sheep there.. goats and pigs is all I hear about. 

While my person, Anna-Louise (ALR from now on), was in China I had a blast.. with my friends Frank and Felix.  I was reminded of Dr Seuss who once said... "Today was good, today was fun, tomorrow will be another one". I had to do that to stay optimistic, and maybe you can do so too if you feel sad....

This post has no science citation, but a movie recommendation. If you were a kid and adult growing up reading the adventures of Asterix and Obelix, I think you will appreciate the new movie with Gerard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve and others "Astérix et Obélix: Au service de Sa Majesté" or "Astérix et Obélix: God save Britannia".  About friends, Obelix says to Asterix, translated from French,  " You have no right to decide what's good for me".. "you said I am a burden and that you sacrifice everything for me... its a sacrifice if you get nothing in return. But..you do get something in return, you get a friend, me, Obelix".

Talking about friends and Britannia, I may have a new British friend called Jessie (below). Well.. aloof Brit Jessie, will maybe warm to me, even though I am female, I have a bit of a tomboy personality. See ya in Europe Jessie. I am quite a soccer star. I play defense.