Recent research has revealed an unexpected role for a common gut microbe: it produces a smelly, toxic gas. The findings, published in the journal Nature, demonstrate that this microbe, called Methylobacterium extorquens, produces dimethyl sulfide (DMS) — a gas found in the atmosphere that is responsible for the distinct smell of the ocean and that has a toxic effect on some organisms. The discovery of this gas-producing microbe is a significant step forward in understanding the role of gut microbes in the environment and in human health.

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source: Phys.org