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Updated: Aug 20, 2025

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Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
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Healthy microbiome - a mere idea or a sound concept?
L Najmanová1, P Vídeňská, M Cahová
1Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. monika.cahova@ikem.cz.
Physiological Research
|November 25, 2022
Summary
Defining a "healthy microbiome" is complex due to variations in microbiota composition. This review suggests focusing on the microbiome's functions beneficial to the host, rather than an ideal composition, considering individual contexts.
Area of Science:
- Human microbiome research
- Microbiota composition and function
- Ecology of microbial communities
Background:
- Numerous studies compare disease-associated microbiomes with healthy controls.
- Microbiome's role in disease pathophysiology is increasingly recognized.
- Defining a universal
- healthy microbiome
- remains a significant challenge.
Conclusions:
- The concept of an ideal healthy microbiome is untenable.
- Shift focus from microbiota composition to its ecological functions.
- Emphasize context-specific, host-beneficial microbiome characteristics.
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