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Gut microbiota

Optimal sampling of the intestinal microbiota for research

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 12, pages 253–254 (2015)Cite this article

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This commentary outlines our expanding understanding of resident bacterial compartmentalization along the longitudinal and vertical intestinal axes and suggests optimal approaches to sampling the microbiota. Although readily available and noninvasive, faecal microbiota are not fully representative of mucosally associated bacterial communities, which might uniquely interact with epithelial and immune cells.

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Figure 1: Resident bacteria in the luminal and mucosal compartments in inflamed and healthy conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UNC Multidisciplinary IBD Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Room 7309A Molecular Biomolecular Research Building, 111 Mason Farm Road, CB# 7032, Chapel Hill, 27599-7032, NC, USA

    R. Balfour Sartor

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  1. R. Balfour Sartor
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Correspondence to R. Balfour Sartor.

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Competing interests

R.B.S. is on a standing advisory panel (North American Probiotic Council) for Danone and Yakult, and receives grant support from GlaxoSmithKline and Salix for microbial-related studies. He has been on advisory boards for Vertex, Salix and GlaxoSmithKline related to microbiome studies.

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Sartor, R. Optimal sampling of the intestinal microbiota for research. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 12, 253–254 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2015.46

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