Investigating Human Diseases with the Microbiome

Investigating Human Diseases with the Microbiome: Metagenomics Bench to Bedside is a summary of underlying principles for human health and disease studies from a microbiome point-of-view. From birth to old age, microbiomes in fecal, oral/nasal, vaginal, and skin samples contain important information that can predict disease risks in the future. Tissue samples also contain microbes that are relevant for diseases. The microbiome connects genetic and environmental factors, and is poised to greatly facilitate precision medicine, including prevention, diagnosis, and effective treatment of many complex diseases. Based in traditional microbiology and adding a more wholistic view of the advent of high-throughput sequencing, this reference poses the key questions of the total number of microbial cells and their distribution in the human body, while also considering concepts from macroecology and from causal reasoning. An entire chapter is dedicated to methods, providing hands-on information for important considerations when collecting samples for metagenomic studies. Worked samples are carefully selected for each Chapter to get the readers thinking. Clinicians will find common themes for the human microbiome at the major body sites, and current guidelines on how to decide whether it is the same microbe in different samples. Academic researchers will find the underlying rationale and metagenomic approach useful when starting new investigations, working together to further improve questionnaire design and multi-omic studies for an actionable understanding of the microbiome. Provides a consistent framework for the study of the microbiome at various body sites based on over 10 years of human microbiome studies Consolidates the relevant information for readers looking to get an idea of the microbes for human health, elucidating why one might want to include the study of the microbiome in current or future research efforts Provides the technical considerations in designing and carrying out microbiome research and applications