Application of emerging technologies for gut microbiome research

Microbiome is associated with a wide range of diseases. The gut microbiome is also a dynamic reflection of health status, which can be modified, thus representing great potential to exploit the mechanisms that influence human physiology. Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in gut microbiome studies, which has been enabled by the rapidly evolving high-throughput sequencing methods (i.e. 16S rRNA sequencing and shotgun sequencing). As the emerging technologies for microbiome research continue to evolve (i.e. metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, culturomics, synthetic biology), microbiome research has moved beyond phylogenetic descriptions and towards mechanistic analyses. In this review, we highlight different approaches to study the microbiome, in particular, the current limitations and future promise of these techniques. This review aims to provide clinicians with a framework for studying the microbiome, as well as to accelerate the adoption of these techniques in clinical practice.

Automated summary

The microbiome is associated with a variety of diseases, and the gut microbiome reflects the dynamic health status and can be modified, showing great potential for understanding human physiology. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing methods have enabled extensive studies on the gut microbiome. Emerging technologies such as metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, culturomics, and synthetic biology have shifted microbiome research towards mechanistic analyses. This review aims to highlight different approaches to studying the microbiome, discuss current limitations and future prospects of these techniques, and promote their adoption in clinical practice.