Microbiota and Human Health: characterization techniques and transference

Abstract

The human microbiota comprises all the microorganisms of our body, which can also be categorised as commensals, mutualists and pathogens according to their behaviour. Our knowledge of the human microbiota has considerably increased since the introduction of 16S rRNA next generation sequencing (16S rDNA gene). This technological breakthrough has seen a revolution in the knowledge of the microbiota composition and its implications in human health. This article details the different human bacterial ecosystems and the scientific evidence of their involvement in different diseases. The faecal microbiota transplant procedure, particularly used to treat recurrent diarrhoea caused by Clostridium difficile, and the methodological bases of the new molecular techniques used to characterise microbiota are also described.

Keywords: Faecal microbiota transplant; Human microbiota; Influence on health; Influencia en la salud; Microbiota humana; Next generation sequencing; Next generation wequencing; Trasferencia de materia fecal.