Gut Microbiota

The gut microbiota, a complex community of trillions of microorganisms residing in the human gastrointestinal tract, plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. It influences various bodily functions, including digestion, immune response, and even mental health through the gut–microbiota–brain axis. Over the last decade, it has become evident that the development of microbiota imbalance, known as dysbiosis, is linked to numerous health issues, such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes, and even neurological and psychological disorders. In addition, a balanced gut microbiota plays a role in supporting the absorption of nutrients and protection against pathogens.

With the advent of metagenomics, questions surrounding the composition of the microbiota have begun to be addressed, and associations between the development of dysbiosis and alterations in the composition of the microbiota can now be analysed. Furthermore, the importance of specific bacterial species in maintaining a healthy microbiota and their roles in various physiological processes are being increasingly understood. However, given the extremely broad range of metabolic functions across the hundreds of bacterial species found in the gut microbiota, a mechanistic understanding is key to identifying the actual functionalities of the different families and species in the consortia.

In animal hosts, the gut microbiota plays an equally crucial role in maintaining health. Studies on the gut microbiota of animals have revealed important insights into microbial ecology and the interactions between the microbiota and the host. Significant attention has been paid to the gut microbiota of farm animals, with a focus on raising healthy animals, particularly regarding associations with improvements in feed conversion ratios and protection against pathogens. Similarly, the gut microbiota of companion animals and its associations with various health issues have attracted researchers' interest. 

The "Gut Microbiota" Section will focus on research questions related to microbial ecology within microbiota communities, the functionalities of microbiota members, their metabolic and immunological interactions with the host (both human and animal), and the role of the gut microbiota in health and disorders. The Editorial Board will review all manuscripts submitted for publication in this section; articles that fall outside of the scope of the subject matter listed here may be referred to another section of Microorganisms.