Tracking Microbiome Shifts During Aging

Juanita Mathews, Staff scientist at Tufts University, is interested in the microbiome and its effect on the aging process. The microbiome refers to the collection of single-celled organisms that inhabit our gut, mouth, skin, blood, and other parts of the body. Dysbiosis describes a state where the microbes in your body are not beneficial to your metabolism. Gut dysbiosis causes a cascade of problems – infections, cancer, bowel disorders, autoimmune disorders, and neurological problems. Juanita challenges the field to map out and catalog the metabolome (metabolic map) of the microbiome with respect to aging. Having this map is the first step toward being able to actually use microbiome information obtained from commercial tests to improve health, rather than simply tell us novel facts about our eating habits.