The Gut Microbiome: Your Body's Invisible Helpers
What is it?
The microbiome is the huge community of tiny living things—like bacteria and fungi—that live in and on our bodies. Most of them are helpful and work together to help us digest food, protect us from harmful germs, and keep our bodies healthy. Even though they’re invisible, these tiny helpers play a big role in how we feel every day.
3 Things to Know
Your gut contains trillions of microbes from hundreds of species.
Microbes help break down food and make nutrients our bodies can use.
A more diverse microbiome is often linked to better health.
Fun Fact
Your body contains about as many microbial cells as human cells, meaning roughly half the cells in your body belong to microbes!
Current research
If microbes help our bodies stay healthy, what might happen if scientists could change or engineer the microbiome?
Explore!
How Bacteria Rule Over Your Body – The Microbiome
The Invisible Universe Of The Human Microbiome
CRISPR's Next Advance Is Bigger Than You Think | Jennifer Doudna | TED
Berkeley Initiative for Optimized Microbiome Editing (BIOME) - Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI)
Partner With Us - The Gut Foundation