NIH funding advances research into overlooked organisms in the human gut

Trillions of microorganisms make their home in the human gastrointestinal tract, where they influence everything from digestion and vitamin synthesis to immune response. This microbial world is remarkably diverse - a complex ecosystem of bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and single-celled organisms called protists. Yet research has largely focused on just one group: bacteria.

Protists have long been understudied, Lind says, because until recently, these organisms were considered possible pathogens. "Recently, studies have found that they are actually correlated with many different positive health markers, like reduced inflammation and positive cardiovascular outcomes," she explains. "But we still know very little about these organisms."

"With this research, we want to lay a foundation to accelerate future work," Lind adds. "We want to understand what these protists do, how they interact with microbial partners, and how that might ultimately impact their human hosts."

Understanding the microbiome community

Building a genetic blueprint

Source:

Georgia Institute of Technology