Gut microbiota and host gastrointestinal environment

The gut microbiota and host gastrointestinal environment refers to the highly diverse community of microorganisms—primarily bacteria but also archaea, fungi, and viruses—that inhabit the human digestive tract, as well as the host tissues and milieu in which they reside. This ecosystem interacts extensively with the host, impacting digestion, nutrition, immune function, metabolic regulation, and even behavior through the production of bioactive metabolites and modulation of host signaling pathways. Disruption of this microbial community (dysbiosis) is associated with numerous diseases, making the gut microbiota a major focus for therapeutic and diagnostic interventions, although it is not itself a discrete molecular target.

Other names

gut microbiomegut floraintestinal microbiotagastrointestinal microbiomeGI microbiome

Direct modulation of microbial composition (antimicrobials, probiotics); Modulation of host immune signaling; Altering microbial metabolic output (e.g., SCFA production); Restoration of microbial diversity (FMT)