Seth Bordenstein

Director of the One Health Microbiome Center; Huck Chair in Microbiome Sciences; Professor of Biology and Entomology

Seth Bordenstein

Research Summary

The evolutionary and genetic principles that shape symbiotic interactions between animals, microbes, and viruses and the major applications of these interactions to human health.

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Cytoplasmic incompatibility factor proteins from Wolbachia prophage are costly to sperm development in Drosophila melanogaster

Rupinder Kaur, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2025, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Prophage proteins alter long noncoding RNA and DNA of developing sperm to induce a paternal-effect lethality

Rupinder Kaur, Angelina McGarry, J. Dylan Shropshire, Brittany A. Leigh, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2024, Science on p. 1111-1117

The mechanism of cytoplasmic incompatibility is conserved in Wolbachia-bearing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes deployed for arbovirus control

Rupinder Kaur, C Meier, Elizabeth McGraw, J Hillyer, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2024, PLoS Biology on p. e3002573

The disciplinary matrix of holobiont biology Uniting life’s seen and unseen realms guides a conceptual advance in research

Seth Bordenstein, Holobiont Biology Network, 2024, Science on p. 731-732

It is time to authenticate the Microbiome Sciences with accredited educational programs and departments

Nichole Ginnan, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2023, PLoS Biology

Human microbiome variation associated with race and ethnicity emerges as early as 3 months of age

Elizabeth K. Mallott, Alexandra R. Sitarik, Leslie D. Leve, Camille Cioffi, Carlos A. Camargo, Kohei Hasegawa, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2023, PLoS Biology

Low Gut Microbial Diversity Augments Estrogen-Driven Pulmonary Fibrosis in Female-Predominant Interstitial Lung Disease

Ozioma S. Chioma, Elizabeth Mallott, Binal Shah-Gandhi, Za Darreyal Wiggins, Madison Langford, Andrew William Lancaster, Alexander Gelbard, Hongmei Wu, Joyce E. Johnson, Lisa Lancaster, Erin M. Wilfong, Leslie J. Crofford, Courtney G. Montgomery, Luc Van Kaer, Seth Bordenstein, Dawn C. Newcomb, Wonder Puryear Drake, 2023, Cells

Gut microbiota modulates lung fibrosis severity following acute lung injury in mice

Ozioma S. Chioma, Elizabeth K. Mallott, Austin Chapman, Joseph C. Van Amburg, Hongmei Wu, Binal Shah-Gandhi, Nandita Dey, Marina E. Kirkland, M. Blanca Piazuelo, Joyce Johnson, Gordon R. Bernard, Sobha R. Bodduluri, Steven Davison, Bodduluri Haribabu, Seth R. Bordenstein, Wonder P. Drake, 2022, Communications Biology

Transgenic cytoplasmic incompatibility persists across age and temperature variation in Drosophila melanogaster

Isabella T. Ritchie, Kelly T. Needles, Brittany A. Leigh, Rupinder Kaur, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2022, iScience

Individuality and ethnicity eclipse a short-term dietary intervention in shaping microbiomes and viromes

Junhui Li, Robert H.George Markowitz, Andrew W. Brooks, Elizabeth K. Mallott, Brittany A. Leigh, Timothy Olszewski, Hamid Zare, Minoo Bagheri, Holly M. Smith, Katie A. Friese, Ismail Habibi, William M. Lawrence, Charlie L. Rost, Ákos Lédeczi, Angela M. Eeds, Jane F. Ferguson, Heidi J. Silver, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2022, PLoS Biology

Most-Cited Papers

Host biology in light of the microbiome: Ten principles of holobionts and hologenomes

Seth R. Bordenstein, Kevin R. Theis, 2015, PLoS Biology

Phylosymbiosis: Relationships and Functional Effects of Microbial Communities across Host Evolutionary History

Andrew W. Brooks, Kevin D. Kohl, Robert M. Brucker, Edward J. van Opstal, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2016, PLoS Biology

Getting the hologenome concept right: An eco-evolutionary framework for hosts and their microbiomes

Kevin R. Theis, Nolwenn M. Dheilly, Jonathan L. Klassen, Robert M. Brucker, John F. Baines, Thomas C.G. Bosch, John F. Cryan, Scott F. Gilbert, Charles J. Goodnight, Elisabeth A. Lloyd, Jan Sapp, Philippe Vandenkoornhuyse, Ilana Zilber-Rosenberg, Eugene Rosenberg, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2016, mSystems

Minimum information about an uncultivated virus genome (MIUVIG)

Simon Roux, Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Bas E. Dutilh, Eugene V. Koonin, Andrew M. Kropinski, Mart Krupovic, Jens H. Kuhn, Rob Lavigne, J. Rodney Brister, Arvind Varsani, Clara Amid, Ramy K. Aziz, Seth R. Bordenstein, Peer Bork, Mya Breitbart, Guy R. Cochrane, Rebecca A. Daly, Christelle Desnues, Melissa B. Duhaime, Joanne B. Emerson, François Enault, Jed A. Fuhrman, Pascal Hingamp, Philip Hugenholtz, Bonnie L. Hurwitz, Natalia N. Ivanova, Jessica M. Labonté, Kyung Bum Lee, Rex R. Malmstrom, Manuel Martinez-Garcia, Ilene Karsch Mizrachi, Hiroyuki Ogata, David Páez-Espino, Marie Agnès Petit, Catherine Putonti, Thomas Rattei, Alejandro Reyes, Francisco Rodriguez-Valera, Karyna Rosario, Lynn Schriml, Frederik Schulz, Grieg F. Steward, Matthew B. Sullivan, Shinichi Sunagawa, Curtis A. Suttle, Ben Temperton, Susannah G. Tringe, Rebecca Vega Thurber, Nicole S. Webster, Katrine L. Whiteson, Steven W. Wilhelm, K. Eric Wommack, Tanja Woyke, Kelly C. Wrighton, Pelin Yilmaz, Takashi Yoshida, Mark J. Young, Natalya Yutin, Lisa Zeigler Allen, Nikos C. Kyrpides, Emiley A. Eloe-Fadrosh, 2019, Nature Biotechnology on p. 29-37

Prophage WO genes recapitulate and enhance Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility

Daniel LePage, Daniel P. Le Page, Jason Metcalf, Sarah Bordenstein, Jungmin On, Jessamyn Perlmutter, J Shropshire, Emily Layton, Lisa Funkhouser-Jones, John Beckmann, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2017, Nature on p. 243--247

Microbiota and the social brain

Eoin Sherwin, Seth R. Bordenstein, John L. Quinn, Timothy G. Dinan, John F. Cryan, 2019, Science

Gut microbiota diversity across ethnicities in the United States

Andrew W. Brooks, Sambhawa Priya, Ran Blekhman, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2018, PLoS Biology

Living in the endosymbiotic world of Wolbachia: A centennial review

R Kaur, J Shropshire, Karissa Cross, Brittany Leigh, Alexander Mansueto, Victoria Stewart, Sarah Bordenstein, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2021, Cell Host and Microbe on p. 879--893

An introduction to phylosymbiosis

Shen Jean Lim, Seth R. Bordenstein, 2020, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Bile diversion to the distal small intestine has comparable metabolic benefits to bariatric surgery

Charles Robb Flynn, Vance L. Albaugh, Steven Cai, Joyce Cheung-Flynn, Phillip E. Williams, Robert M. Brucker, Seth R. Bordenstein, Yan Guo, David H. Wasserman, Naji N. Abumrad, 2015, Nature Communications

News Articles Featuring Seth Bordenstein

Apr 09, 2025

Postdoctoral training series assists scholars seeking fellowships

Three free sessions cover funding mechanisms, strategies for crafting effective proposals, and feedback to strengthen current fellowship applications.

Full Article

Mar 17, 2025

BioArtist Mellissa Monsoon to present 'Collaborating with Microbes'

The One Health Microbiome Center and College of Arts and Architecture are co-hosting three events as part of a multi-year SciArt collaboration.

Full Article

Nov 14, 2024

Q&A: How do microbiomes influence the study of life?

Microorganisms — bacteria, viruses and other tiny life forms — may drive biological variation in visible life as much, if not more, than genetic mutations, creating new lineages and even new species of animals and plants, according to Seth Bordenstein, director of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

Full Article

Sep 30, 2024

One Health Microbiome Center launches new video series

The Penn State One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) announced the launch of a new video series highlighting the center's state-of-the-art resources, research capabilities and collaborative efforts in microbiome sciences.

Full Article

May 14, 2024

'Research Art Collection' showcase in Old Main

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research at Penn State hosted an open house for the “Research Art Collection” on April 25. The collection showcases the fine balance between art and research through various displays. From cassowary bird scans to bio-manufactured fashion to sustainable architecture, these works are featured in several different dimensional formats, including digital, print and 3D.

Full Article

Mar 08, 2024

Virus hijacking insect sperm causes brutal sterility, find scientists

Penn State researchers unveil the tale of Wolbachia and its viral accomplice manipulating insect reproduction

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Mar 08, 2024

How does a virus hijack insect sperm to control disease vectors and pests?

A widespread bacteria called Wolbachia and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm, preventing them from fertilizing eggs of females that do not have the same combination of bacteria and virus.

Full Article

Jan 27, 2024

QIAGEN Announces Partnership With Penn State University to Advance Microbiome Sciences

QIAGEN Announces Partnership With Penn State University to Advance Microbiome Sciences

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Jan 25, 2024

Penn State, QIAGEN announce strategic partnership to advance microbiome sciences

Penn State, known for innovations in interdisciplinary research, and QIAGEN LLC, a leader in sample-to-insight solutions, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to foster advancements in microbiome sciences

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Jan 25, 2024

Qiagen Announces Partnership With Penn State University To Advance Microbiome Sciences

Qiagen announces partnership with Penn State University to Advance Microbiome Sciences

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Jan 25, 2024

Qiagen partners with Penn State to advance microbiome sciences

QIAGEN announced a first-in-kind collaboration with Penn State University to create a shared research and education facility for the fast-developing microbiome sciences

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Jan 25, 2024

QIAGEN announces partnership with Penn State University to advance microbiome sciences

QIAGEN announced a first-in-kind collaboration with Penn State University to create a shared research and education facility for the fast-developing microbiome sciences

Full Article

Jan 25, 2024

QIAGEN announces partnership with Penn State University to advance microbiome sciences

Qiagen to provide instruments and solutions for shared research and education facility at the One Health Microbiome Center to support faculty and students

Full Article

Dec 08, 2023

Penn State researchers propose a path to authenticate the Microbiome Sciences

Penn State's One Health Microbiome Center is taking a lead role in the promotion of Microbiome Sciences as an autonomous discipline, publishing an editorial in the latest issue of PLOS Biology.

Full Article

Dec 07, 2023

Penn State researchers announce new comprehensive -Omics database

A group of Penn State scientists have announced kmerDB, an extensive catalogue of sequence information representing all domains of life.

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Dec 07, 2023

USDA grant supports reproductive microbiome training program

The USDA NIFA has awarded Penn State a five-year, US$238,500 grant to establish a graduate training pipeline in reproductive microbiome research

Full Article

Dec 06, 2023

New USDA grant to support graduate reproductive microbiome training program

The USDA NIFA has awarded Penn State a five-year, $238,500 grant to establish a graduate training pipeline in reproductive microbiome research.

Full Article

Oct 08, 2023

Podcast explores impacts of inter-species microbial interactions

Over the past two decades, scientists have discovered that all multicellular life forms on Earth, including human beings, play host to a multitude of microorganisms.

Full Article

Sep 07, 2023

One Health Microbiome Center honors creativity and mentoring with award series

The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) below has named eight recipients for its 2023-24 Inaugural Award Series.

Full Article

Aug 22, 2023

One Health Microbiome Center's 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellows

The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has named five recipients for its 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowships (IIF) program.

Full Article

Aug 17, 2023

Gut bacteria variation among human social groups emerges by three months of age

Bacteria and other microorganisms that live within the human digestive tract — the gut microbiome — differ with parent-reported race and ethnicity as early as 3 months of age, according to a new study co-led by Penn State.

Full Article

Aug 02, 2023

Penn State faculty member elected to plant pathology society leadership

Carolee Bull, professor of systematic bacteriology and plant pathology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been elected to the presidential lineage of the American​ Phytopathological Society (APS).

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May 15, 2023

Penn State's renamed One Health Microbiome Center affirms broad expertise

The Microbiome Center in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has announced its renaming to the One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC), the first center in the world to integrate "One Health" with the microbiome sciences.

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Mar 27, 2023

Geography Coffee Hour talk to explore microorganisms and their impact on life

Microbes may be tiny, but they play a big role in shaping the world. Seth Bordenstein, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair in Microbiome Sciences and professor of biology and entomology at Penn State, will offer insights into his research on microbiomes and their impact on the world in his talk, “Why We Look Down (To the Microbes) For Wonder, Impact and Discovery,” on March 31.

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Mar 07, 2023

Habitat split may impact disease risk in amphibians and other vertebrates

Habitat split is a common event in the environment that occurs when different classes of natural habitats, such as forests and water, are disconnected.

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