FEMS Microbiology Reviews · 4 authors, 4 centres
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This narrative review outlines strategies for designing, assembling, and testing defined synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) from the human gut. The central result is that SynComs offer a reductionist approach to study microbe-host interactions and have potential as live bacterial therapeutics for gastrointestinal disorders, though significant translational challenges remain.
This narrative review discusses the design, assembly, and application of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) derived from human gut microbiota. Assembly involves measuring parameters like metabolomics and pairwise interactions, optionally aided by in-silico predictive models, followed by in-vitro testing. The review highlights that SynComs have been used to study microbe-microbe crosstalk and have reached a native-like complexity of over 100 species, with some having entered clinical trials as biotherapeutics. Key challenges identified include the need for greater species diversity from global populations, more streamlined assembly using validated predictive models, advanced in-vitro testing models, and further clinical research. The paper provides a conceptual overview of SynComs as a tool to advance understanding of host-microbe interactions in health and disease.
