Germs Are Us

An article by Michael Specter in the October 22 New Yorker Magazine entitled “Germs Are Us” echoes and expands Venter’s speech.  Bacteria make us sick. Do they also keep us alive? Here’s an abstract:

ANNALS OF SCIENCE about the human microbiome. Human beings are inhabited by as many as ten thousand bacterial species; the bacteria living inside us weigh, all told, about three pounds (the same as our brain). These bacteria work constantly on our behalf: they manufacture vitamins and patrol our guts to prevent infections; they help to form and bolster our immune systems, and digest food. Recent research suggests that they may even alter our brain chemistry, thus affecting our moods and behavior; when certain kinds of bacteria are destroyed, conditions like asthma and obesity, may result. Scientists are only just beginning to understand the complexity of the microbiome. Some can envision a time when patients take not just antibiotics, but also probiotics, which are designed to encourage the growth of some bacteria. Parents of young children might be updated on the progress of their child’s microbiome. Today, a large number of probiotic products are offered to consumers, but they are sold as either foodstuffs or dietary supplements, not as drugs. But scientists are guardedly optimistic about the clinical possibilities of the microbiome. One says it is “the most exciting and important work of my lifetime.”

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/10/22/121022fa_fact_specter#ixzz2Bx3zzzKa