Defining the Human Microbiome

Overview

Journal Nutr Rev

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Nutritional Sciences

Date 2012 Aug 7

PMID 22861806

Citations 456

Authors

Luke K Ursell

Jessica L Metcalf

Laura Wegener Parfrey

Rob Knight

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rapidly developing sequencing methods and analytical techniques are enhancing our ability to understand the human microbiome, and, indeed, how the microbiome and its constituents are defined. This review highlights recent research that expands our ability to understand the human microbiome on different spatial and temporal scales, including daily time series datasets spanning months. Furthermore, emerging concepts related to defining operational taxonomic units, diversity indices, core versus transient microbiomes, and the possibility of enterotypes are discussed. Additional advances in sequencing technology and in our understanding of the microbiome will provide exciting prospects for exploiting the microbiota for personalized medicine.

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