Good bugs, bad bugs

Science News,  July 21, 2007  by Terry Moore,  Mike Speciner,  A. Goho

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Kudos for "Our Microbes, Ourselves" (SN: 5/19/07, p. 314). I think this holistic view of the microbe community--rather than investigating the single organism--offers a hopeful path to numerous insights for preventive measures for optimum health.

TERRY MOORE, CORVALLIS, ORE.

The article states, "Mice bred to be obese had a larger proportion of Firmicutes and a smaller proportion of Bacteroidetes than their lean counterparts did." Later, you wrote, "Sure enough, as individuals of both groups lost weight, the proportion of Firmicutes in their guts rose, while the proportion of Bacteroidetes dropped." On the surface, this seems contradictory.

MIKE SPECINER, ACTON, MASS.

The second quoted passage from the story had it backward. It should have read, "The proportion of Bacteroidetes in their guts rose, while the proportion of Firmicutes dropped."--A. GOHO

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