Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Science

Gut microbe Blautia luti uses formate, not hydrogen, to shuttle electrons

Among the many trillions of microorganisms in the human gut is Blautia luti. Like many gut bacteria, it metabolizes indigestible dietary components, such as fiber in the form of carbohydrates. This process produces, among other things, acetic acid (acetate), an important energy source for our intest...

Gut microbe Blautia luti uses formate, not hydrogen, to shuttle electrons
Image: Phys.org
Among the many trillions of microorganisms in the human gut is Blautia luti. Like many gut bacteria, it metabolizes indigestible dietary components, such as fiber in the form of carbohydrates. This process produces, among other things, acetic acid (acetate), an important energy source for our intestinal cells and a signaling molecule that can even influence our well-being via the gut-brain axis.

Originally published at Phys.org

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