Promises and Prospects of Microbiome Studies

Next-generation sequencing has transformed genomics and metagenomics. It has contributed to expand our understanding of the complex microbial ecosystems, composed of Archaea, bacteria, viruses, and fungi, populating every habitat on the planet, including the human body. These communities are the metabolic engines driving almost every biochemical reaction on earth. In humans, they provide the enzymatic capability controlling the host physiology. In the next decades, metagenomics will be instrumental in increasing our understanding of the evolution of these complex communities, their functions, and the processes controlling their activities. The application of metagenomics to the human microbiome promises to increase our understanding of the role of the host-microbiome interactions in health, their association with disease state, and the potential to develop therapeutic interventions based on the manipulation of those interactions. This deeper understanding is critical for human survival and the health of the planet.