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Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
08:05

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing

Published on: March 19, 2018

Composition of the early intestinal microbiota: knowledge, knowledge gaps and the use of high-throughput sequencing

Fiona Fouhy1, R Paul Ross, Gerald F Fitzgerald

  • 1Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.

Gut Microbes
|May 11, 2012
PubMed

Insights

The infant gut microbiota develops over two years, influenced by delivery mode, diet, and antibiotics. Advanced DNA sequencing techniques are crucial for understanding these complex influences on infant gut health.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • The newborn gastrointestinal tract undergoes colonization, development, and maturation from birth to two years.
  • Numerous factors modulate this process, including delivery mode, feeding, maternal factors, and antibiotic exposure.
  • Traditional culture-based methods have limitations in analyzing the complex gut microbiota.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent research on factors influencing infant gut microbiota acquisition and development.
  • To summarize knowledge gained from culture-independent techniques.
  • To highlight advances in high-throughput sequencing for understanding the human intestinal microbiota.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature.
  • Focus on culture-independent DNA-based approaches.
  • Emphasis on high-throughput sequencing technologies.

Main Results:

  • Identified key modulatory factors impacting infant gut microbiota.
  • Documented advancements in understanding microbiota through culture-independent methods.
  • Showcased the role of high-throughput sequencing in filling knowledge gaps.

Conclusions:

  • High-throughput sequencing significantly enhances our understanding of infant gut microbiota development.
  • Further research using advanced sequencing is essential to fully elucidate the human intestinal microbiota.
  • Understanding these modulatory factors is critical for infant gut health.

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