Mapping the microbiome and the increasing sophistication of gene sequencing and analysis have in just a few years completely changed the research landscape for microbiota, and looks set to answer many to-date unresolved ‘mechanism of action’ questions.
Dr Jacques Ravel, one the world’s leading vaginal microbia researchers, says revelations about differing ‘community types’ of vaginal bacteria could drastically improve treatments for the common condition, vaginosis.
The Boston-based Human Microbiome Project is three years into a five-year project that is throwing up revelations about how human microorganisms behave – and its leader predicts a big future for pre- and probiotics.
