Welcome To The Microbiome

Suddenly, research findings require a paradigm shift in our view of the microbial world. The Human Microbiome Project at the National Institutes of Health is well under way, and unprecedented scientific technology now allows the censusing of trillions of microbes inside and on our bodies as well as in the places where we live, work, and play. This intriguing, up-to-the-minute book for scientists and nonscientists alike explains what researchers are discovering about the microbe world and what the implications are for modern science and medicine. Rob DeSalle and Susan Perkins illuminate the long, intertwined evolution of humans and microbes. They discuss how novel DNA sequencing has shed entirely new light on the complexity of microbe-human interactions, and they examine the potential benefits to human health: amazing possibilities for pinpoint treatment of infections and other illnesses without upsetting the vital balance of an individual microbiome. This book has been inspired by an exhibition, The Secret World Inside You: The Microbiome, at the American Museum of Natural History, which will open in New York in early November 2015 and run until August 2016. It will then travel to other museums in the United States and abroad.

This book examines an important paradigm shift in biology: Plants and animals, traditionally viewed as individuals, are now considered to be complex systems and host to a plethora of microorganisms. After first presenting historical aspects of microbiota research, bacterial compositions of individual microbiomes and the critical analysis of current methods, the book discusses how microbial communities inside the human body are profoundly affected by numerous factors, such as macro- and micro-nutrients, physical exercise, antibiotics, gender and age. As described by current research, the author highlights how microbiomes contribute to the fitness of the host by providing nutrients, inhibiting pathogens, aiding in the storage of fat during pregnancy, and contributing to development and behavior. The author not only focusses on prokaryotic components in microbiomes, but also addresses single-cell eukaryotes and viruses. This follow-up to the successful book The Hologenome Concept: Human, Animal and Plant Microbiota, published in 2013, provides a contemporary overview of microbiomes. It appeals to anyone working in the life sciences and biomedicine.

The author of Gutbliss and one of today’s preeminent gastroenterologists distills the latest research on the microbiome into a practical program for boosting overall health. Michael Pollan’s widely discussed New York Times article, “Some of My Best Friends Are Germs,” was just the tip of the iceberg. The microbiome—the collective name for the trillions of bacteria that live in our gut—is today’s hottest medical news topic. Synthesizing the latest findings, Dr. Robynne Chutkan explains how the standard Western diet and lifestyle are starving our microbiome, depleting the “good bugs” that keep us healthy and encouraging overgrowth of exactly the wrong type of bacteria. The resulting imbalance makes us more prone to disease and obesity and negatively affects our metabolism, our hormones, our cravings, our immunity, and even our genes. But beyond the science, what sets this book apart is Dr. Chutkan’s powerful three-level program for optimizing your gut bacteria for good health. Dr. Chutkan shares: Why hand-sanitizing gels and antibiotics are stripping our bodies of their natural protective systems Essential prebiotics and probiotics Recipes with ingredients that replenish the microbiome for each rehab level Cutting-edge research on the connection between the microbiome and the brain An intro to the stool transplant, the superfix for a severely troubled microbiome Dr. Chutkan is one of the most recognizable gastroenterologists working in America today, and this is the first book to distill the research into a practical, effective plan for replenishing our microbiomes. The Microbiome Solution will bring welcome relief to the millions who want to grow a good “gut garden”—and enjoy healthier, happier lives.

Science has made huge leaps in prolonging life through disease prevention and treatment, but microbiologist Brett Finlay and gerontologist Jessica Finlay offer a different—and truly revolutionary—approach to the quest for the fountain of youth. Microbes are the oldest and smallest forms of life on earth, and encompass bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi and other microscopic organisms. While some bacteria and viruses can make us sick, normally we coexist peacefully with microbes. In fact, they are essential to our everyday health. Microbes help break down food in the digestive tract, support immune function and protect us from the pathogens we come into contact with on a daily basis. Our well-being is intimately tied to the microbes that surround us—on our cellphones, kitchen sponges, houseplants, pets and desks. In this groundbreaking volume, the authors present current and emerging research on microbial interventions for the full gamut of age-related conditions, from sun spots and wrinkles to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, osteoporosis, menopause, chronic inflammation and more. The good news is that simple changes to nutrition and lifestyle can promote the right kind of microbial exposure, to improve health whether we’re eighteen or eighty. Incorporating interviews with leading microbiologists, scientific researchers and medical professionals, and with a compelling and proactive approach to cutting-edge science, The Whole-Body Microbiome will appeal to anyone looking to grow old as healthfully and gracefully as possible.

Thousands of different microbial species colonize the human body, and are essential for our survival. This book presents a review of the current understanding of human microbiomes, the functions that they bring to the host, how we can model them, their role in health and disease and the methods used to explore them. Current research into areas such as the long-term effect of antibiotics makes this a subject of considerable interest. This title is essential reading for researchers and students of microbiology.

Critical reference explains strategies of microbiome research in humansSummarizes the microbiome's effects on immunity, metabolism, genetics and psychologyEvaluates medical and nutritional therapies for modifying the microbiomeFor healthcare researchers, nutritionists, microbiologists, and medical professionals Written by a team of leading scientists, this book offers a concise technical reference covering human microbiome research and its ramifications for medicine and nutrition. The initial chapters furnish a scientific explanation of the microbiome in general and its ecology. The book then provides a detailed investigation of microbial populations as these pertain to physiology, metabolism and immunology. The final portions are devoted to exploration of the microbiome's effects on chronic and autoimmune diseases and include assessments of clinical therapies and nutritional interventions designed to alter the microbiome to mitigate chronic health conditions.

Building off the success of the first edition, Gut Microbiota: Interactive Effects on Nutrition and Health, Second Edition, details the complex relationship between diet, the gut microbiota, and health. This second edition expands its coverage of emerging practical applications in nutrition and medicine. Covering topics such as the ecological concepts that apply to the gut microbiota and the effects of aging on the gut microbiome, among others, this book is sure to be a welcome resource to microbiome science trainees, food and nutrition researchers working in academia, and industry and healthcare professionals giving dietary recommendations to the general public. Presents diet, the gut microbiota, and health in a way that helps the reader interpret the value of related consumer tests and products Includes frequently asked questions that help clinicians provide succinct answers to their patients or clients Covers gut microbiota in the context of nutrition research and analyzes gaps in current knowledge to shape the design of future studies in this field

The book provides an overview on how the gut microbiome contributes to human health. The readers will get profound knowledge on the connection between intestinal microbiota and immune defense systems. The tools of choice to study the ecology of these highly-specialized microorganism communities such as high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic mining will be presented. In addition the most common diseases associated to the composition of the gut flora are discussed in detail. The book will address researchers, clinicians and advanced students working in biomedicine, microbiology and immunology.