The Impact of
Microbiomes

The field of microbiomes is an emerging area of biology that has the potential to greatly impact our understanding of diseases, the evolutionary history of humans, and the general function of ecosystems. Microbiomes are clusters of microbes and bacteria within a system (like a human). To analyze them, samples are taken and the genetic code is sequenced and assessed. With computational methods, scientists can perform a census-style analysis to see particular species in the microbiome. Understanding the impact certain microbes have may be the key to understanding illnesses like depression and disorders like autism.

MICROBIOMES MAY HOLD THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING HUMAN HEALTH

What are microbiomes?

Microbiomes are microbial communities in ecosystems like mammals, including humans, and in other enviornments like soil.

How do you analyze them?

There are several different ways to approach analyzing a microbiome. The most common is to harvest the DNA from the microbes in the sample and determine the species that are present.

What impact do they have?

Microbiomes have been proven to be a strong link between someone's diet and well-being. Understanding how they function could open doors to treating illnesses like depression.

Sources and links

[Image 1] https://www.clinicalomics.com/magazine-editions/volume-6-issue-number-4-july-august-2019/mining-the-microbiome-microbiome-startups-are-proliferating-exploring-new-markets-and-colonizing-diverse-therapeutic-niches/

[Image 2] https://www.hmpdacc.org/

[Image 3] https://www.iconsdb.com/black-icons/button-icon.html

[Image 4] https://pixabay.com/photos/laboratory-medical-medicine-hand-3827740/