Danger Dust

While emerging evidence suggests pesticides can be toxic to the mix of microorganisms in the digestive system, a new study is the first to map changes to specific gut bacteria based on interactions between human microbes and insect-killing chemicals observed in the lab and an animal model.

The analysis showed that over a dozen pesticides influence human gut bacteria growth patterns, affect how gut microorganisms process nutrients and camp out inside some bacteria. Researchers say the resulting "atlas" of molecular mechanisms, which they have made publicly available, is a resource that can be leveraged for targeted studies on relevant diseases and potential therapeutic strategies.