What is most exciting at this stage is that we have mouse models that let us establish
whether changes in the microbiome are causes or effects of disease.
The next step is to go into the lab and try to test
whether these changes in the microbiome actually cause diabetes.»
Not exact matches
The study adds to knowledge of how microbes colonize our skin and how much our microbial communities — or
microbiomes —
change when we contact other people or surfaces,
whether it's a doorknob at home or medical equipment
in a hospital.
«Regardless of
whether you're
in a closed or open environment, there's always a constant exchange of microbes between a host and their environment, and that constant exposure has impacts on health; for example it can lead to
changes in a host's immune system that help the host stave off pathogens,» said Argonne's Jack Gilbert, an author of the study and the director of The
Microbiome Center, a joint Argonne, University of Chicago and Marine Biological Laboratory program.
The biggest mystery
in the
microbiome field is
whether microbial
changes are a cause or an effect of problems with the immune system, Dongari - Bagtzoglou says.
The researchers are also exploring
whether there are any non-target effects by measuring
changes in the bat skin
microbiome (both fungal and bacterial communities).