Moreover, researchers are becoming more convinced that modern trends - diet, antibiotics, obsession with cleanliness, Caesarean delivery of babies - are disrupting this delicate balance, contributing to some of the most perplexing ailments, including asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and perhaps even autism.
“In terms of potential for human health, I would place it with stem cells as one of the two most promising areas of research at the moment,’’ said Rob Knight of the University of Colorado. “Everywhere we look, microbes seem to be involved.’’
Equipped with super-fast new DNA decoders, scientists are accelerating the exploration of this realm at a molecular level, yielding provocative insights into how these microbial stowaways may wield far greater powers than previously appreciated in, paradoxically, making us human.
A five-year, $175 million study, the US Human Microbiome Project, is assembling an outline of a “healthy’’ microbiotic profile for humans by sampling the mouth, airway, skin, intestinal, and urogenital tract of 300 healthy adults, as well as deciphering the genetic codes of 200 possibly key microbes.
“The field has exploded,’’ said Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University, who pioneered the exploration of humanity’s microbial inhabitants, known as the “microbiome’’ or “microbiota.’’ “People have this sense of wonderment about looking at themselves as a compilation of microbial and human parts.’’
Some equate these microbial inhabitants to a newly recognized organ. Acquired at birth, this mass of fellow travelers may help steer normal development, molding immune systems and calibrating fundamental metabolic functions such as energy storage and consumption. There are even tantalizing clues they may help shape brain development, influencing behavior.
