Microbiome and metabolism: Advancements in microbiome engineering

Abstract

Humans and microbes have co-evolved, and the microbial communities we host play an important role in maintaining our health. The human microbiome harbors at least 100 times more genes than the human genome. Thus, these complex communities have a profound effect on our metabolism and physiology thanks to their genetic and metabolic diversity. Our review explores the current understanding of how bacterial metabolism can influence human physiology and pathophysiology. We highlight recent advances in microbiome engineering as well as provide an overview of these engineering technologies and discuss future directions for tool advancements in this promising field. Utilizing these technologies, we can improve our understanding of how microbes affect health and advance personalized therapeutics and nutrition.