Recent Discoveries and Potential Breakthroughs in Microbiome Health
<p>Our concept of what counts as ‘us’ has changed a lot over the last 200 years. Before we <a href="https://medium.com/illumination/how-discovering-microbes-transformed-our-understanding-of-life-and-health-1574f075a3b4" rel="noopener">discovered microorganisms (aka microbes, microbiota or germs) in the mid-to-late 1800s</a>, we had no idea that our world was full of microscopic life.</p>
<p>Fast forward to today, and we now know that <a href="https://medium.com/illumination/cooperation-and-competition-in-biology-and-evolution-part-11-you-an-ecosystem-for-microbes-a7c4d392a2cf" rel="noopener">good health relies on a vast network of microbes that call us home</a>. These microorganisms, such as bacteria, are collectively known as our ‘microbiome’. And combined with our microbiome, we are known as holobionts (more on this at the end of the article).</p>
<p>Given the importance of microbiomes for holobionts like us, many researchers are studying how we can use this knowledge to improve our health. Today, I’ll cover some recent discoveries and potential breakthroughs in these areas and what they could teach us about staying healthy.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/illumination-curated/recent-discoveries-and-potential-breakthroughs-in-microbiome-health-183b3145edb9"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>