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Updated: Apr 25, 2026
07:15
An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota
Published on: July 31, 2019
9.3K
Dynamic efficiency of the human intestinal microbiota.
Marco Candela1, Elena Biagi, Silvia Turroni
1Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology and.
Critical Reviews in Microbiology
|August 30, 2014
Summary
The human gut microbiota
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and immunology, focusing on the human intestinal microbiota.
Background:
- Traditional definitions of a healthy gut microbiota rely on static phylogenetic and functional core concepts.
- Emerging research highlights the dynamic and plastic nature of the intestinal microbiota.
- Microbiota plasticity is crucial for adapting to host's immunological and metabolic needs across different life stages and conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To revise the traditional concept of a healthy human intestinal microbiota.
- To incorporate microbiota plasticity as a fundamental requirement for host health.
- To develop a model for evaluating the relative importance of core functions and plasticity in maintaining host health.
Main Methods:
- Reviewing recent research on microbiota plasticity and its biological significance.
- Applying economic principles of static and dynamic parameter analysis to model microbiota health.
- Integrating concepts of ecosystem services and host-microbiota interactions.
Main Results:
- The traditional, static view of gut microbiota is insufficient to define health.
- Microbiota plasticity is a key factor in adapting to host's changing needs.
- An economic-inspired model can quantify the interplay between core functions and plasticity.
Conclusions:
- A revised definition of a healthy human intestinal microbiota must include its plasticity.
- Understanding microbiota dynamics is essential for maintaining host health.
- Economic modeling offers a novel framework for assessing gut microbiota health and function.
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