Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Jun 11, 2019, at 1:43 PM, Ann Zabaldo <zabaldo [at] earthlink.net> wrote:

> https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/pdf/S2211-1247(19)30662-X.pdf

This is wonderful. I think we need a gallery on the website of all these. 
“Cohousing" is used 65 times. I don’t think spell check switched with 
“cohabitation."

My favorite sentences:

> Finally, it is now well established that microbiota can be horizontally 
> transferred from one mouse to another by simply cohousing the animals. During 
> cohousing, animals may feed on feces (as a result of coprophagy) or ingest 
> feces by self-grooming. Cohousing is now a widely accepted method for 
> normalizing microbial communities; it is a simple and convenient approach, 
> which allows for separately breeding distinct mouse lines and then cohousing 
> upon weaning.

> Our results show that cohousing results in near-complete normalization of the 
> fecal microbiotas of the mice within 28 days, with the majority of bacterial 
> OTUs normalized after 7 days of horizontal transmission. However, our studies 
> do not rule out that the possibility that differences in the microbiota 
> composition may exist at other specific locations or niches within the 
> intestine even after cohousing.

The lesson is that unless you want to change your biome, don’t each each others 
feces.

I think you have to respond Ann. This is like impeachment — clearly a violation 
but is it worth it. I think the authors might be embarrassed down the line. 
Though it looks like a print publication so they may be stuck.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org