metabolotropic bacteria, or like whatev

December 28, 2007

Anyone see this stuff? I think this, or similar, has been around in

the news. I read this article in Newsweek:

Here's the paper by JI Gordon (free), which I only skimmed:

9

It's a little confusing... how does this jive or clash with the

improved mass gain per food consumed, that is seen in agricultural

animals on abx. I'm guessing those animals end up far from germ free;

whatever is resistant to the abx must grow out in the intestines at

least somewhat.

Interested in this for two reasons -

1. Is there some way I can use this to manipulate my metabolism for

more motor and cognitive energy - as opposed to going along with

evolution's energy-conserving plan, which is no longer helpful? Like,

without catabolizing my muscles? It always seems like I eat a lot, but

I am pretty lean fatwise, and also very sparsely muscled.

2. Interesting to understand how we have co-evolved with the Ancestors

inhabiting the gut. They probably help us hydrolyze certain dietary

molecules and may suppress certain pathogens, but obviously we lose a

lot of calories to them. Are they a net good or a net bad, en masse,

or however you spell that? If there are good ones and bad ones, how do

mammals try to help the good ones prevail in their conflict with the

bad ones (see colicins, etc), and how successful is that effort?

Recommended Posts