EvoGutHealth: Functional relevance of within-host evolution

Microbial communities have co-specified with their mammalian host over long evolutionary periods. It is estimated that billions of mutations occur daily in the microbiome of individuals. This indicates the potential for highly dynamic functional adaptations of the microbiome. Theoretical evidence suggests that the microbiota and its host co-evolve for mutual benefit, but the timescale over which reciprocal evolutionary adaptations occur is unknown. Remarkably, bacterial lineages in the mammalian gut evolve over short ecological timescales. Short-term evolutionary changes include evasion of the immune system, drug resistance and metabolic adaptation. In the EU-funded EvoGutHealth project, we are investigating the functional significance of the evolution of microbial communities within the host.

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Evolution of gut-associated microbial communities and its functional relevance in health and disease