Which experimental systems should we use for human microbiome science?

Microbiome science is revealing that the phenotype and health of animals, including humans, depend on the sustained function of their resident microorganisms. In this essay, I argue for thoughtful choice of model systems for human microbiome science. A greater variety of experimental systems, includ...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Angela E Douglas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-03-01
Series:PLoS Biology
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5875896?pdf=render
Description
Summary:Microbiome science is revealing that the phenotype and health of animals, including humans, depend on the sustained function of their resident microorganisms. In this essay, I argue for thoughtful choice of model systems for human microbiome science. A greater variety of experimental systems, including wider use of invertebrate models, would benefit biomedical research, while systems ill-suited to experimental and genetic manipulation can be used to address very limited sets of scientific questions. Microbiome science benefits from the coordinated use of multiple systems, which is facilitated by networks of researchers with expertise in different experimental systems.
ISSN:1544-9173
1545-7885