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The gut microbiota: challenging immunology

Abstract

For several decades the intestinal microbiota was mainly studied by those investigating infections and diseases associated with gut health, usually from a microbiology point of view. In the past few years, however, it has become apparent that the intestinal microbiota has widespread implications in the field of immunology, and researchers are being compelled to explain how the microbiota contributes to and/or affects their studies.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank P. J. Sansonetti, K. M. Keeney and R. Gill for helpful discussions and revisions. N.G. is the recipient of postdoctoral trainee awards from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR). B.B.F. is a CIHR Distinguished Investigator, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Research Scholar and the University of British Columbia Peter Wall Distinguished Professor.

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Correspondence to B. Brett Finlay.

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Gill, N., Finlay, B. The gut microbiota: challenging immunology. Nat Rev Immunol 11, 636–637 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nri3061

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