Industrialization reshapes gut microbes, from bacterial communities to their DNA, studies find

The totality of bacteria, viruses and fungi that exist in and on a multicellular organism forms its natural microbiome. The interactions between the body and these microorganisms significantly influence the host organism's functions and health. Among other things, researchers have shown that the microbiome plays an important role in defense against pathogens. On the other hand, they suspect that imbalances in the microbiome's composition are linked to the development of so-called environmental diseases, such as chronic inflammation.