Jeneen Interlandi at the New York Times:
In recent years, scientists had linked the gut microbiome to a long list of conditions, including Crohn’s and irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s, dementia and autism, and they were hopeful that a better understanding of those links would lead to treatments, if not cures. They were also sifting through the nearly unfathomable array of molecules that microbes produce, in search of biological treasures: not only potential medications but also compounds capable of breaking down pollutants or repairing damaged ecosystems.
But the unknowns still far outweighed the knowns: No one could say for certain what counted as a healthy microbiome or whether an unhealthy one could be altered intentionally. Nor was it clear whether changes to a person’s individual microbiome were a cause of illness or a consequence.
Poyet and Groussin suspected that the answers to those questions lurked not in the 10 percent of the canvas that scientists were looking at but in the remaining 90 percent. They had long, digressive conversations — in the lab and at home, over hasty meals and occasionally long walks — about how to uncover that bigger picture.
More here.
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