When astronomers talk about the number of planets in the Milky
Way Galaxy, they talk in terms of hundreds of billions. When
microbiologists talk about the Human Microbiome — the bacteria,
viruses and fungi living in and on each of our bodies — they
talk in terms of hundreds of trillions. Earlier this month, the
Human Microbiome Project published the most extensive
investigation on the human microbiome to date. And now, we have
the clearest picture ever of the microorganisms that call you
home — and this knowledge is likely to affect your life in ways
you'd never expect. Here are 10 ways that understanding the
organisms inside you could change science and medicine forever.
10. Your medical records will list your enterotype Much like
there are eight different common blood types, researchers
announced last year the existence of at least three distinct
human "enterotypes", or intestinal bacterial communities. Each
enterotype is characterized by the predominance of one of three
genera: Bacteroides, Prevotellaor or