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Co-culture of Living Microbiome with Microengineered Human Intestinal Villi in a Gut-on-a-Chip Microfluidic Device
Published on: August 30, 2016
Development of the human infant intestinal microbiota
Chana Palmer1, Elisabeth M Bik, Daniel B DiGiulio
1Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America.
Plos Biology
|June 28, 2007
Summary
The infant gut microbiome is established rapidly after birth and varies significantly between individuals. Environmental exposures strongly influence infant microbial community development, which eventually converges toward an adult-like profile by one year.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Human Physiology
- Genetics
Background:
- The human gastrointestinal tract hosts a complex microbial ecosystem established shortly after birth.
- Understanding the infant gut microbiome's development, sources, variability, and influence on health is crucial but incomplete.
- The early-life gut microbiota plays a vital role in human development and disease susceptibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the temporal progression and sources of the infant gut microbiota.
- To characterize the variability of microbial communities among healthy infants during the first year of life.
- To explore the influence of environmental factors and maternal/familial microbes on infant gut microbial composition.
Main Methods:
- Development and application of a microarray for detecting bacterial small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences.
- Profiling microbial communities in infant stool samples (average 26 per infant) over the first year.
- Analysis of maternal (vaginal, milk, stool) and paternal/sibling stool samples to trace microbial origins.
Main Results:
- Significant inter-individual variation in gut microbial community composition and temporal patterns was observed among infants.
- Distinct microbial community features in each infant persisted for weeks to months, despite temporal fluctuations.
- Parallel microbial development in dizygotic twins suggested a substantial role for incidental environmental exposures.
Conclusions:
- The infant gut microbiome is highly personalized, shaped by a combination of factors including environmental exposures.
- While distinct, infant microbial ecosystems show a trend toward convergence with adult gut profiles by the end of the first year.
- This study provides a foundational understanding of early-life gut microbial development and its determinants.
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