Bacteriophages of the Human Gut

The human gut microbiota consists of a multitude of different microorganisms. While the bacterial microorganisms of the gut microbiota have been well analyzed, comparatively little is known about the composition and physiological significance of human gut-associated bacteriophage populations.

It is estimated that more than 1,000,000,000,000 bacteriophages reside in the human gut. These contribute to maintaining the complex gut microbiota.

In this study, the authors summarize the available methods and key findings on the composition, community structure, and population dynamics within the human gut phageome.

Shkoporov AN, Hill C. Bacteriophages of the human gut: the “known unknown” of the microbiome 2019; 25(2):195-209. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.01.017.