Microbial biodiversity in the environment can alter human health

Date: December 14, 2016

Source: American Institute of Biological Sciences

Summary:

The science of human microbiomes is advancing at an incredible pace. With each passing day, more is known about the vast suite of microorganisms that inhabit human bodies--and about the important role that they play in maintaining our health. New work looks at the human microbiome from an environmentalist's perspective.

The science of human microbiomes is advancing at an incredible pace. With each passing day, more is known about the vast suite of microorganisms that inhabit human bodies -- and about the important role that they play in maintaining our health. In this episode of BioScience Talks, we look at the human microbiome from an environmentalist's perspective. What are the health benefits of microbiota from environmental sources? What are the threats of altered microbiota? How should we manage the landscapes that play host to this crucial microbial diversity? To help answer these questions, we spoke with Craig Liddicoat of the University of Adelaide and the South Australian government's Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Liddicoat and his colleagues recently published an article in BioScience that shines a light on the myriad benefits of preserving environmental microbiomes and proposes a unifying conceptual framework for the multidisciplinary approach needed to tackle this emerging research area.

To hear the whole discussion, visit this link for this latest episode of the Bioscience Talks podcast: http://bioscienceaibs.libsyn.com/episode-19-microbial-biodiversity-in-the-environment-can-alter-human-health

Story Source:

Materials provided by American Institute of Biological Sciences. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Craig Liddicoat, Michelle Waycott, Philip Weinstein. Environmental Change and Human Health: Can Environmental Proxies Inform the Biodiversity Hypothesis for Protective Microbial–Human Contact?BioScience, 2016; 66 (12): 1023 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biw127

Cite This Page:

American Institute of Biological Sciences. "Microbial biodiversity in the environment can alter human health." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 December 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161214115108.htm>.