Modulation of the gut microbiota – An ecological perspective

Abstract Text: Diverse strategies have been used for several decades to improve human and animal health through the modulation of the gut microbiota, spanning from the administration of defined probiotic strains (or Live Biotherapeutics), whole microbial consortia (e.g. fecal bacteriotherapy), to the provision of bacterial growth substrates (prebiotics and dietary fiber). However, we still lack a conceptual understanding on how the gut microbiota can be modulated. In this presentation I will summarize how ecological theory can provide a framework by which to understand characteristics of the human gut microbiota and the impact of microbiome-modulating strategies. I will present some of our own studies that investigated basic ecological questions regarding the temporal, spatial, and global patterns of the human microbiome, the factors that shape these patterns, and the ecological constrains within the human microbiome can be manipulated by diet and probiotics. The methodological toolset that is now available (e.g. through next-generation sequencing) provides an unprecedented opportunity to obtain phylogenetic, compositional, and functional information of microbial communities. When analyzed in the light of ecological theory, this has the potential to elucidate the factors and ecological processes that determine and potentially predict the response of the gut microbiota to therapeutic modulations. 

Keywords: gut microbiota, probiotic, ecological theory