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Updated: May 18, 2026

Applying Advanced In Vitro Culturing Technology to Study the Human Gut Microbiota
Published on: February 15, 2019
The human gastrointestinal microbiota--an unexplored frontier for pharmaceutical discovery
Guus Roeselers1, Jildau Bouwman, Koen Venema
1Microbiology & Systems Biology, TNO, Utrechtseweg 48, 3704 HE Zeist, The Netherlands. guus@roeselers.com
Abstract:
The mammalian gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harbors microorganisms (the microbiota) of vast phylogentic, genomic, and metabolic diversity, and recent years have seen a rapid development in the techniques for studying these complex microbial ecosystems. It is increasingly apparent that the GIT microbiota plays an intricate role in host health and disease. Targeted strategies for modulating human health through the modification of the GIT microbiota, however, are developing and in their infancy. This perspective article discusses the rationale, benefits and limitations of using the GIT microbiota as a pharmacological and nutritional target in the treatment of various diseases and disorders linked to imbalances in our microbiota.
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