Introduction and Background to Microbiome Research

Metabolism of Nutrients by Gut Microbiota is a timely collection of works focussing on the functional roles of intestinal microorganisms and their diverse metabolites that interface with the host under various dietary inputs and circumstances relevant to human health. Chapters focus on host–microbial interactions under different major macronutrient dietary intakes, the state of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics, interactions between microbes and drug metabolism, how initial microbial colonizers following birth shape lifelong chronic disease risk and metabolism, and the role of microbes in bariatric surgically induced weight loss. We have placed specific emphasis on the functional roles microbes play within the host, as we move beyond descriptive explorations of the microbiome and delve into more focused determination of the mechanisms underpinning microbial contribution to health and disease. This collection of work will be of interest to the lay audience, science enthusiast, industry partners, and career academics alike.