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MICROBIOME

The gut microbiome during acute lifestyle transition

Nature Medicine volume 26, pages 1013–1015 (2020)Cite this article

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An analysis of the microbiomes of the Irish Traveller community, which has recently undergone enforced lifestyle changes, increases understanding of the environmental factors that shape the gut microbiome.

As the global population hurtles toward full adoption of industrialization, there are relatively few groups remaining that have managed to retain their ancestral way of life. These dwindling communities offer precious insight into human biological adaptations to changing lifestyles over time, notably that of the microbiome. In this issue of Nature Medicine, Keohane et al. report their study of the gut microbiomes of the Irish Travellers, a historically nomadic, distinct ethnic group in Ireland that is currently undergoing a lifestyle transition, and highlight just how exquisitely the gut microbiome reflects their cultural transition1.

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Fig. 1: The gut microbiome of a transitioning population.

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  1. F. Widjaja Foundation Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Suzanne Devkota

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  1. Suzanne Devkota
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Correspondence to Suzanne Devkota.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Devkota, S. The gut microbiome during acute lifestyle transition. Nat Med 26, 1013–1015 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0980-7

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