For those who can‘t get enough: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
For those who want to dive deeper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
For those interested: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
For those who want more: www.cell.com/trends/immun...
Here, the authors apply a standardized system, called TXsystem, to transplant wild mouse gut microbiota into SPF mice, developing “TXwildlings” mice that stably retain natural microbiota and human-lik...
Allergen exposure in wildling mice induces robust de novo responses and activates an endogenous memory TH2 cell pool.
The wildling model fuses lab mouse strains with naturally occurring microorganisms for increased translational research value.
www.science.org
Laboratory mice housed under specific pathogen–free (SPF) conditions are the standard
model in biomedical research. However, experiments with a particular inbred mouse
strain performed in different la...
Calling #GameofThrones fans! The May '26 issue of Trends in Microbiology is live now with the cover image depicting the intimate co-evolution between the host and the microbiota.
Read the full issue here: www.cell.com/issue/S0966-...
Game of microbes: a wildling’s guide
Laboratory mice housed under specific pathogen-free conditions are the standard model in biomedical research. However, frequent germ-free rederivation and barrier housing restrict microbial exposure and interactions with commensal and pathogenic microorganisms. In contrast, wild mice encounter diverse microbial environments, undergo natural selection, and rely on robust immune responses for survival. Consequently, lifelong microbial exposure is a key driver in shaping mammalian physiology, establishing the need for naturalizing rodent models in biomedical research. By defining the concepts of ‘microbial self’ and ‘microbial nonself’, we propose a four-step guide for establishing a multigenerational wildling colony that accounts for both microbial self and microbial nonself. This reestablishes the common biological link shared by all free-living mammals, thereby improving the comparability between murine and human studies.
