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Microbial Metallomics

Researched by:

  • Karen Pendergrass ID
    Karen Pendergrass

    User avatarKaren Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease—four years before the first published case study.

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November 14, 2025

Microbial Metallomics is the study of how microorganisms acquire, use, regulate, and transform metals in any biological or environmental context.

research-feed Research feed

Researched by:

  • Karen Pendergrass ID
    Karen Pendergrass

    User avatarKaren Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease—four years before the first published case study.

    Read More

Last Updated: 2025-11-14

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Karen Pendergrass

Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease—four years before the first published case study.

Overview

Microbial Metallomics is the study of how microorganisms acquire, use, regulate, and transform metals in any biological or environmental context. This field examines the role of metals as cofactors in microbial metabolism, virulence, and competitive survival strategies, as well as how microbial communities influence metal bioavailability, sequestration, and toxicity. By integrating microbiology, biochemistry, and bioinorganic chemistry, Microbial Metallomics provides insights into microbial metal homeostasis, host-pathogen interactions, and the impact of metal disturbances on health and disease.

Research Feed

Urine metallomics signature as an indicator of pancreatic cancer†
May 20, 2020
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Metals
Metals

Heavy metals influence microbial pathogenicity in two ways: they can be toxic to microbes by disrupting cellular functions and inducing oxidative stress, and they can be exploited by pathogens to enhance survival, resist treatment, and evade immunity. Understanding metal–microbe interactions supports better antimicrobial and public health strategies.

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Metallomic signatures of brain tissues distinguishes between cases of dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease dementia
June 26, 2024
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Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is increasingly recognized as a systemic disorder involving coordinated disturbances across the gut–brain axis, rather than a condition confined to dopaminergic neurodegeneration alone. Converging evidence implicates gut dysbiosis, altered microbial metabolites, impaired intestinal barrier integrity, and metal dyshomeostasis as upstream drivers of neuroinflammation and alpha-synuclein pathology. These interconnected microbiome, metabolomic, and metallomic signals provide a mechanistic framework for understanding disease initiation, progression, and therapeutic targeting beyond the central nervous system.

Metallomic Signatures
Metallomic Signatures

Did you know?
Metallomic signatures can reveal hidden drivers of disease by mapping how trace metals like nickel, iron, and cadmium shape microbial behavior and immune responses. These signatures not only help identify toxic exposures but also spotlight metal-dependent pathogens, offering new targets for precision-guided therapies.

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Update History

2025-02-05 05:30:21

Microbial Metallomics major

published

Metals

Heavy metals influence microbial pathogenicity in two ways: they can be toxic to microbes by disrupting cellular functions and inducing oxidative stress, and they can be exploited by pathogens to enhance survival, resist treatment, and evade immunity. Understanding metal–microbe interactions supports better antimicrobial and public health strategies.

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is increasingly recognized as a systemic disorder involving coordinated disturbances across the gut–brain axis, rather than a condition confined to dopaminergic neurodegeneration alone. Converging evidence implicates gut dysbiosis, altered microbial metabolites, impaired intestinal barrier integrity, and metal dyshomeostasis as upstream drivers of neuroinflammation and alpha-synuclein pathology. These interconnected microbiome, metabolomic, and metallomic signals provide a mechanistic framework for understanding disease initiation, progression, and therapeutic targeting beyond the central nervous system.

Metallomic Signatures

A metallomic signature is the condition-specific profile of trace metals and metal-binding molecules that reflects disrupted metal homeostasis.

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