Observational findings achieved during the past two decades suggest that the intestinal
microbiota may contribute to the metabolic health of the human host and, when aberrant, to …

The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract harbours a complex and dynamic population of
microorganisms, the gut microbiota, which exert a marked influence on the host during …

Obesity is a major risk factor for developing gallstone disease (GSD). Previous studies have
shown that obesity is associated with an elevated Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the gut …

One of the fundamental issues in the microbiome research is characterization of the healthy
human microbiota. Recent studies have elucidated substantial divergences in the …

Humans are virtually identical in their genetic makeup, yet the small differences in our DNA
give rise to tremendous phenotypic diversity across the human population. By contrast, the …

The life of all animals is dominated by alternating feelings of hunger and satiety—the main
involuntary motivations for feeding-related behaviour. Gut bacteria depend fully on their host …

The human gut microbiome has profound influences on the host's health largely through its
interference with various intestinal functions. As recent studies have suggested diversity in …

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been successfully applied to treat recurrent
Clostridium difficile infection in humans, but a precise method to measure which bacterial …

In the 21st century, urbanization represents a major demographic shift in developed and
developing countries. Rapid urbanization in the developing world has been associated with …

Background In a series of studies of the gut microbiome,“enterotypes” have been used to
classify gut microbiome samples that cluster together in ordination analyses. Initially, three …