In many cases, research into the human and animal microbiome has focused on the microbiome of the gut - that is the tiny little organisms which live in the intestinal tract. For a long time we have understood that having the right balance of these little critters can play an important role in digestive health; this is the reason your doctor may recommend to take probiotics after a course of antibiotics.

So what's new?

In 2007 the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Human Microbiome Project, using genetic sequencing technology to develop an understanding of what bacterial (and other) species inhabit 5 areas of the body (including the gut) and how they change in certain disease states such as inflammatory bowel disease or pre term birth.

Among the findings of the decade of research that went into this project was that in some health conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, there are changes to the types and behaviours of the microorganisms present. Further research into the human and animal gut microbiome has found that there are also differences present in the gut microbiome in many other disease processes including kidney failure, obesity and even mental health conditions.