MicrobiotaAgents for Health and Disease

The microbiota (normal flora) is a major constituent of the human body, with bacterial cells outnumbering human cells by a factor of ten and containing 100x the genetic information of humans. The Human Microbiome Project is rapidly determining many of the microbes and their genes in and on human bodies.... read moreIt is becoming increasingly evident that the microbiota plays a critical role in health and disease. Such contributions include immune development, mental development, protection from infections, altering metabolomics, and contributing to various health problems such as obesity, inflammatory bowel diseases, and atopic (allergic) diseases.

The main emphasis of this series is to outline the microbial composition of the body and discuss the various methods available for studying microbiota. Their contribution to health and disease will be discussed in the context of infections, obesity, immune development, atopic diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases, among others.