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Updated: Sep 12, 2025

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
Published on: March 19, 2018
Demographic drivers of gut microbiome diversity
Hannaneh Kabir1, Matilda Holtz1,2, Justine Choueiri1
1Molecular Cell Biomechanics Lab, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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The gut microbiome plays a central role in orchestrating metabolic, immune, and neurological functions essential for human health. While extensive research has explored the effects of diseases and pathological conditions on gut microbiome composition, the influence of demographic factors remains underexplored, limiting our understanding of microbiome variations in disease states. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impact of demographic variables, including age, sex, and geography, on gut microbiome diversity in healthy individuals. Using the American Gut Project's extensive dataset and the QIIME2 bioinformatics pipeline, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of microbial profiles across diverse demographic groups. Our results revealed significant age-related shifts in microbial richness and composition, and geographic location strongly influenced phylogenetic diversity. In contrast, sex exhibited limited impact on microbial diversity within healthy BMI ranges. These findings highlight the critical role of demographic factors in shaping gut microbiome diversity, providing a foundational framework to better contextualize disease-related microbiome variations and advance personalized healthcare approaches.
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