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Dan Knights

Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Minnesota
Host-microbiome interactions and computational metagenomics

Our lab finds patterns in microbial community genomics that link to human health. Humans have co-evolved with communities of microbes that protect us from infection by pathogens, aid in the education of our immune systems, and help us extract nutrients from food; yet only through recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have we begun to understand the vast complexity of these communities. The genetics of our microbes are unique to each of us, and yet the mixture of our microbial genes—our microbiome—has been linked to a surprising number of diseases. Human microbiomes are so important to our health that they are sometimes called our “second genome”. Our lab's work applies tools from machine learning to predict health outcomes in multi-omics assays of large patient cohorts and animal models. The methods we are developing will help lay the foundation for developing microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics for microbiome-related human diseases.

Immigration to the US Westernizes Asians, and their gut microbes

Nov 04, 2018 13:12 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Have you ever lived long enough in another country to see changes in your overall health? Or perhaps, you have noticed that after a friend moved to the U.S. his health seemed to deteriorate. Many immigrants arrive in...

Economy

Nigerians throw naira notes around to show love: but it could land you in jail

The legal implication of physically damaging the naira, Nigerias currency, came into focus recently with the prosecution of at least two celebrities by the countrys Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Nigeria has a...

The US is one of the least trade-oriented countries in the world – despite laying the groundwork for today’s globalized system

Given the spate of news about international trade lately, Americans might be surprised to learn that the U.S. isnt very dependent on it. Indeed, looking at trade as a percentage of gross domestic product a metric...

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget

With Jim Chalmerss third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief beyond the tax cuts although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this weeks consumer price...

Politics

Sudan’s civil war is rooted in its historical favouritism of Arab and Islamic identity

The current civil war in Sudan goes beyond a simple power struggle between two generals. It reflects a deep-rooted crisis within the countrys governing structure thats been present since it gained independence from the...

South Africa’s youth are a generation lost under democracy – study

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa recently painted a rosy picture in which the countrys youth democracys children had enormous opportunities for advancement, all thanks to successive post-apartheid governments led...

Sadiq Khan on track for third term as London mayor – but nearly half of Londoners dissatisfied with performance

Polls have consistently shown that the incumbent mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appears to be on track to win a third term in office at the upcoming mayoral elections on May 2. One poll we commissioned as part of our...

The politics stopping the UK from opening a youth mobility scheme with Europe

Earlier this week, it seemed possible that young people in the UK might soon be able to travel freely to work and live in Europe again. The European Commission laid out proposals to open mobility to millions of 18- to...

Biden administration tells employers to stop shackling workers with ‘noncompete agreements’

Most American workers are hired at will: Employers owe their employees nothing in the relationship except earned wages, and employees are at liberty to quit at their option. As the rule is generally stated, either party...

Science

IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects

About a trillion tiny particles called neutrinos pass through you every second. Created during the Big Bang, these relic neutrinos exist throughout the entire universe, but they cant harm you. In fact, only one of them is...

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Dark matter: our new experiment aims to turn the ghostly substance into actual light

A ghost is haunting our universe. This has been known in astronomy and cosmology for decades. Observations suggest that about 85% of all the matter in the universe is mysterious and invisible. These two qualities are...

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Technology

Apple's Foldable Future: 20.3-Inch Hybrid in 2025, Foldable iPhone in 2026

Apple is reportedly intensifying its efforts to develop foldable devices. It aims to unveil a 20.3-inch hybrid by late 2025, followed by a foldable iPhone in late 2026. This move signifies a strategic shift towards...

South Korea Excludes Crypto in Donation Law Update, Charities at Risk

South Koreas recent amendments to donation laws have raised concerns as cryptocurrency remains excluded from permissible donation methods. The Ministry of Public Administrations decision, reported by local media outlet...

Shiba Inu Burn Rate Skyrockets: 81M SHIB Destroyed, Prices Surge

Shiba Inu, the beloved dog-themed meme coin, experiences an astounding 4000% surge in its burn rate, resulting in the destruction of over 81 million SHIB coins. This significant development has sparked optimism among...

Samsung Trails Apple, Remains 2nd in Global Tablet Rankings, Q1 2024

In the first quarter of 2024, Samsung emerged as the second-largest tablet manufacturer globally, despite a slight sales decline compared to last year, as the International Data Corporation (IDC) reported. Samsungs...

Russia's Crypto Clampdown: Tight Regulations Aim to Curb Cryptocurrency Activities

Russia is poised to enact stringent regulations on cryptocurrency trading, aiming to curb the mass trade of digital assets like Bitcoin within its borders. This move, driven by geopolitical tensions and sanctions, signals...