Global study finds gut bacteria swap genes at different rates, depending on living situation
A new study that examined the microbiomes of people living around the world has found that gut bacteria continuously acquire new functionality—depending on host lifestyle and industrialization.
The research centers around horizontal gene transfer (HGT), a process in which individual cells mix their genomes and acquire new functions from other microbes, which happens without having to reproduce or be inherited. According to Mathilde Poyet, PhD, co-author of the study, HGT is key in understanding how bacteria evolve within us and how our daily activities and lifestyle choice may influence the composition of their genomes.