The Human Microbiome

Microbiomes - Our greatest ally?
This brief video offers a great overview of the role that the trillions of microbiomes play in the health of the human body.

Recent advances in research has allowed for closer examination of the microorganisms that inhabit the human body. Particular attention has been given to the intimate relationship the microorganisms have with the host, and the role they play in food digestion, brain function, vitamin synthesis, immunity and DNA, as well as metabolic and development processes.

Rising incidences of lifestyle diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity and the increasing prevalence of autoimmune disorders has fuelled the growth in human microbiome research.

<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ucAJ0U5Veis" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

I read these paragraphs in the science literature - Nature and laughed to myself! What is wrong with the world? Why can we not accept that nature knows best, why do we have to try and invent something that already exists and has done since the dawn of time!

Several diseases are now thought to be influenced by processes in the gut microbiome. Those include cancer, autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and autism spectrum disorder. The gut microbiome also strongly interacts with certain drugs, including some mental-health therapeutics, and influences their effects.

With evidence mounting of the gut microbiome’s health significance, synthetic biologists are looking to engineer the microbiome — both at the individual-species level and as an ecosystem — to thwart the development of disease.