A microbiome is the community of microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses) that exists in a particular environment. In the human body, the microbiome refers to the trillions of microbes living in and on us, primarily in the gut. These microbes play a crucial role in human health, aiding digestion, regulating the immune system, and even influencing mental health. The balance of these organisms is vital; an imbalance (dysbiosis) is linked to various diseases.
The term 'microbiome' was first coined by Joshua Lederberg in 2001 to signify the ecological community of commensal, symbiotic, and pathogenic microorganisms that literally share our body space. However, the study of these organisms dates back to Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century. The advent of DNA sequencing technologies in the early 21st century (like the Human Microbiome Project launched in 2007) revolutionized the field, allowing scientists to identify microbes without growing them in a lab.
Microbiome research has exploded in recent years, moving from a niche biological topic to a central pillar of personalized medicine. It influences fields ranging from nutrition and gastroenterology to immunology and psychiatry (the 'gut-brain axis'). Therapies like fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and the development of 'psychobiotics' are direct applications. The concept also extends to other environments, such as soil microbiomes in agriculture and ocean microbiomes in ecology.