BACKGROUND Increasingly, it is recognized that the microbes resident in the
gastrointestinal tract can influence brain physiology and behavior. Research has shown that …

Several lines of evidence suggest that brain function and behaviour are influenced by
microbial metabolites. Key products of the microbiota are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) …

Groundbreaking research on the universality and diversity of microorganisms is now
challenging the life sciences to upgrade fundamental theories that once seemed …

There is a growing recognition of the importance of the commensal intestinal microbiota in
the development and later function of the central nervous system. Research using germ-free …

The evolution of a mutualism requires reciprocal interactions whereby one species provides
a service that the other species cannot perform or performs less efficiently. Services …

The human gut harbors a dynamic and complex microbial ecosystem, consisting of
approximately 1 kg of bacteria in the average adult, approximately the weight of the human …

The human gut harbours trillions of symbiotic bacteria that play a key role in programming
different aspects of host physiology in health and disease. These intestinal microbes are …

Social relationships have profound effects on health in humans and other primates, but the
mechanisms that explain this relationship are not well understood. Using shotgun …

To what extent do host genetics control the composition of the gut microbiome? Studies
comparing the gut microbiota in human twins and across inbred mouse lines have yielded …

Covering: through 2014 Many organisms team up with microbes for defense against
predators, parasites, parasitoids, or pathogens. Here we review the described protective …