Fredrik Bäckhed

TL;DR: Analysis of the microbiota of genetically obese ob/ob mice, lean ob/+ and wild-type siblings, and their ob/+ mothers, all fed the same polysaccharide-rich diet, indicates that obesity affects the diversity of the gut microbiota and suggests that intentional manipulation of community structure may be useful for regulating energy balance in obese individuals.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors found that conventionalization of adult germ-free C57BL/6 mice with a normal microbiota harvested from the distal intestine (cecum) of conventionally raised animals produces a 60% increase in body fat content and insulin resistance within 14 days despite reduced food intake.

TL;DR: New studies are revealing how the gut microbiota has coevolved with us and how it manipulates and complements the authors' biology in ways that are mutually beneficial.

TL;DR: Through increased knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the interactions between the microbiota and its host, the world will be in a better position to develop treatments for metabolic disease.

TL;DR: Data is reviewed supporting the diverse functional roles carried out by a major class of bacterial metabolites, the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which affect various physiological processes and may contribute to health and disease.