New species of methane-producing archaea discovered in the human gut

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Scanning electron micrograph of Methanobrevibacter smithii DSM 861 (=PST), Methanobrevibacter smithii DSM 2375 (=ALI), Methanobrevibacter smithii GRAZ-2 and WWM1085. Credit: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (2025). DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006751 An international team of microbiologists from the Medical University of Graz, the DSMZ—German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (Braunschweig, Germany)—and the University of Illinois (U.S.) has identified and described a previously unknown species of methane-producing archaea in the human gut: Methanobrevibacter intestini sp. nov. (strain WWM1085). In addition, a new variant of the species Methanobrevibacter smithii, which is referred to as GRAZ-2, was isolated. The scientists have thus taken another important step toward ... Read full article.