Offers a balanced perspective of this important new field of science, beyond the sometimes hyped press claims

Brings together studies of fundamental microbiology of animal and plant microbiomes with both biomedical and agricultural applications

Explains research into developing therapies to support and restore healthy microbiomes

Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over ten million copies sold worldwide

The term 'microbiomes' encapsulates an important scientific breakthrough of recent years. This is the realization that humans, other animals, and plants harbour communities of microorganisms which are mostly beneficial but can occasionally cause or exacerbate disease. Our quickly developing understanding of microbiomes is being translated into novel microbial therapies for human disease and is contributing to sustainable practices in agriculture and food production. On the flipside, there is a growing concern that some claims for microbiomes, especially in relation to human health, far exceed the scientific data.

This Very Short Introduction is an essential guide to the fast-moving discipline of microbiome science. It accessibly distills the key facts about our resident microbiomes, explains how and why our health and wellbeing depend on them, and provides readers with the fundamental knowledge they need to judge the reliability of claims about microbiome-based applications.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
List of illustrations
1:Living with microbes
2:How to get and keep a microbiome
3:Microbiomes, nutrition, and metabolic health
4:Microbiomes, the brain, and behaviour
5:Microbiomes and infectious disease
6:Plant microbiomes in agriculture and food production
7:Microbial therapies and healthy microbiomes
Glossary
Further reading

Angela E. Douglas, Emerita Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor of Insect Physiology and Toxicology, Cornell University