The Quanta Podcast

Fish Have a Brain Microbiome. Could Humans Have One Too?

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Apr 24, 2025
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INSIGHT

Fish Brain Microbiomes Discovered

  • Researchers discovered thriving bacterial communities in fish brains, challenging assumptions about brain sterility.
  • These microbes show special adaptations for brain survival and crossing the blood-brain barrier.
ANECDOTE

Nasal Bacteria and Fish Brain Colonization

  • Irene Salinas suspected nasal bacteria might colonize nearby fish brain regions.
  • Contrary to her hypothesis, all brain parts harbored bacteria, with some areas having higher levels than nasal ones.
INSIGHT

How Bacteria Cross the Brain Barrier

  • Fish brain bacteria likely colonize early before the blood-brain barrier forms fully.
  • Some bacteria produce molecules allowing them to cross and evade the brain's defenses.
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