A study published in Science (2013) investigated the long-term stability of the human gut microbiota using a low-error 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing method (LEA-Seq) and whole genome sequencing of over 500 cultured isolates. The research analyzed the fecal microbiota of 37 healthy adults over up to five years, revealing that bacterial strains in the gut microbiota are highly stable, with many strains persisting for decades. Shared strains were found among family members but not among unrelated individuals. The study also showed that changes in body weight were more predictive of changes in strain composition than the sampling interval. The gut microbiota's stability and responsiveness to physiological changes suggest its potential as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic target. The study found that the microbiota's stability best fits a power law function, indicating that a stable core of strains persists over long time scales. The research also demonstrated that the most abundant strains in the microbiota are the most stable. The study applied LEA-Seq to analyze the stability of the fecal microbiota of 37 adults, finding that the microbiota's composition changed over time, but the overall set of microbial strains remained remarkably stable. The stability of the microbiota was also influenced by body mass index (BMI) changes, with weight stability being a better predictor of microbiota stability than the time between samples. The study also examined the effects of a monotonous low-calorie diet on microbiota diversity, finding that weight loss led to reduced microbiota stability. The research further showed that the stability of the microbiota could be modeled using a linear relationship between changes in BMI, time, and microbiota stability. The study's findings highlight the importance of the gut microbiota in human health and disease prevention, suggesting that routine fecal sampling could be used to monitor changes in the microbiota. The research also demonstrated that the gut microbiota is influenced by early colonization events, with strains acquired from family members potentially having long-term effects on the microbiota. The study's methods and findings have implications for understanding the role of the microbiota in health and disease, and for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.A study published in Science (2013) investigated the long-term stability of the human gut microbiota using a low-error 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing method (LEA-Seq) and whole genome sequencing of over 500 cultured isolates. The research analyzed the fecal microbiota of 37 healthy adults over up to five years, revealing that bacterial strains in the gut microbiota are highly stable, with many strains persisting for decades. Shared strains were found among family members but not among unrelated individuals. The study also showed that changes in body weight were more predictive of changes in strain composition than the sampling interval. The gut microbiota's stability and responsiveness to physiological changes suggest its potential as a diagnostic tool and therapeutic target. The study found that the microbiota's stability best fits a power law function, indicating that a stable core of strains persists over long time scales. The research also demonstrated that the most abundant strains in the microbiota are the most stable. The study applied LEA-Seq to analyze the stability of the fecal microbiota of 37 adults, finding that the microbiota's composition changed over time, but the overall set of microbial strains remained remarkably stable. The stability of the microbiota was also influenced by body mass index (BMI) changes, with weight stability being a better predictor of microbiota stability than the time between samples. The study also examined the effects of a monotonous low-calorie diet on microbiota diversity, finding that weight loss led to reduced microbiota stability. The research further showed that the stability of the microbiota could be modeled using a linear relationship between changes in BMI, time, and microbiota stability. The study's findings highlight the importance of the gut microbiota in human health and disease prevention, suggesting that routine fecal sampling could be used to monitor changes in the microbiota. The research also demonstrated that the gut microbiota is influenced by early colonization events, with strains acquired from family members potentially having long-term effects on the microbiota. The study's methods and findings have implications for understanding the role of the microbiota in health and disease, and for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.