The microbiome is a relatively new discovery in the scientific world, and there is still a lot we don’t know about it. There are more microbial cells in our body than there are human cells. Although this sounds like a bad thing, it is actually one of the things that keeps all of our systems in check and is probably more help than harm to us. In the Stanford Medicine News Center, Krista Conger tells us that the microbiome is “likely to be involved in key biological processes such as intercellular communication and warfare, as well as maintenance tasks necessary to keep the bacteria healthy.” How did we not know this before? It seems like the microbiome has a huge impact on us, but we weren’t even aware of it until recently. This is amazing to me because it testifies to the complexity and intricacy of the human body. The new discoveries being made about the microbiome could leave a lasting impact on medicine and human health. In the same article as I mentioned above, Conger says, “Such proteins might serve as new antibiotics or drugs for human use.” Because of this, I believe the microbiome may be opening doors to enhance our health long-term.
On the other hand, a study performed by the Washington University School of Medicine says the microbiome of the upper airway may be linked to the severity of asthma. Although they cannot yet prove causation, their initial hint towards a correlation came from a discovery they made. “The researchers found that children who experienced early warning signs that their asthma was going to flare up were more likely to have bacteria associated with disease — including Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Moraxella bacterial groups — living in their upper airways.” This demonstrates how an alteration in the microbiome could easily mess up our systems and lead to diseases.
Lastly, a study is being performed on the possibility that the microbiome may be associated with the development of colon cancer. This too indicates the possibility that disruptions in the microbiome could be linked to human disease. Medical professionals at George Washington University said, “in the future, younger patients can simply have their stool tested for these altered microbiomes and look for risk for colon cancer, preventing its development.” Although it is bad that the disruption of the microbiome could be a cause for colon cancer, it is still incredible that the discovery of the microbiome is allowing us the opportunity to find new diagnostic techniques. This raises the question of whether the implications of the microbiome will be more a more positive discovery for our health or will it open our eyes to the more negative side of disease. Personally, I believe that whatever it unveils, a new discovery is always a success.
The microbiome is a hot topic for microbiologists across the globe right now because there is so much more to find out, but the crazy fact of it all is that, no matter how far we look, there will always be more to learn and discover. Science is an ever-changing field that will never fail to keep us on our toes and searching for more information and discoveries.
Magnifying Microbiology 