School of Medicine - Year 1 MBChB Curriculum

Lecture 16: "Introduction to the gut microbiota"

1. Define the gut microbiota and microbiome, and its role in development and health
2. Explain how diet impacts on the microbiota and microbial activity
3. Describe the role of the microbiota in the production and absorption of short chain fatty acids from dietary fibre in the large intestine
4. Introduce the concept of dysbiosis (microbial imbalance), reduced diversity and gut disease

Useful links

• The gut microbiota and host health: a new clinical frontier
   
  
• Gut microbiota - BBC Radio 4 - frontiers
   
  
• The Gut microbiota - Science Special issue
   
  
• Introduction to the gut microbiota - Biochem J. (Open access article)
   
  
• You are what you eat: diet, health and the gut microbiota
   
  
• Dietary fibre-microbiota interactions
   
  
• Techniques used to characterize the gut microbiota: a guide for the clinician