Role of host genetics on gut microbiome is near-universal, but environmentally-dependent

Taken together, the bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes that live in our intestines form the gut microbiome, which plays a key role in the health of people and animals. In new research from the University of Minnesota, University of Notre Dame and Duke University, scientists found that genetics nearly always plays a role in the composition of the gut microbiome of wild baboons.

"In humans, research has shown that family members share a significant portion of microbes in their gut, but it's hard to answer if our microbiome is shaped more by nature, such as those we inherit from our family, or nurture, such as the similar diets, environments and behaviors families share," said lead author Laura Grieneisen, a postdoctoral fellow in the END