Microbiome and In Vitro Gut Models

Abstract

The role of the microbiota in maintaining human health and the current state of research on the human microbiome, with a focus on the development and prospects for the use of modern methodological approaches, such as the “gut-on-a-chip” technology, are described in this review. The relationship between the microbiome and metabolomics is discussed, as are the main results of international projects on the human microbiome. The limitations of both cultural and purely genetic (metagenomics) approaches for studying the microbiota bank are highlighted. The central focus is on comparison of different gut models. Arguments in favor of a microfluidic biochip approach are presented. Finally, the regulatory aspects of the practical implementation of microarrays in drug development and personalized medicine are discussed briefly.