Welcome!
Update: The study is no longer enrolling participants.
I'm Dr. Les Dethlefsen, staff scientist in the Relman lab at Stanford University.
In our lab we're studying a lot of different aspects of the human microbiota, which is a collective term for all the microscopic life forms that are usually found on or in the human body, mostly without making us sick. This is a pretty hot topic right now. For well over a century, people have known about 'germs', the microbes that cause disease, and we've made spectacular progress in reducing the toll of infectious diseases. People have also known for a long time that lots of microbes live on and in our bodies even when we're not sick. But that fact never got much attention, until recently. The reason it's such a hot topic now is that we've discovered that the human microbiota isn't just along for the ride, it's working hard to keep us healthy.
In our lab we're studying a lot of different aspects of the human microbiota, which is a collective term for all the microscopic life forms that are usually found on or in the human body, mostly without making us sick. This is a pretty hot topic right now. For well over a century, people have known about 'germs', the microbes that cause disease, and we've made spectacular progress in reducing the toll of infectious diseases. People have also known for a long time that lots of microbes live on and in our bodies even when we're not sick. But that fact never got much attention, until recently. The reason it's such a hot topic now is that we've discovered that the human microbiota isn't just along for the ride, it's working hard to keep us healthy.
Right now we're enrolling participants for a months-long study of the microbes that live in the large intestine, aka the gut microbes, which account for the vast majority of the human microbiota. It's important to study this stuff, because we know the gut microbiota affects our health, but we don't entirely understand how, and we don't understand all the factors that affect the gut microbiota. This website is part of our effort to recruit participants, so you can find out more about our study and check to see if you're likely to be eligible to participate. But we also want to inspire and motivate you to participate, and the best way to do that is tell you about many of the cool discoveries scientists are making about our microbiota and how it affects our health.
If you want a quick introduction to the human microbiota, check the topics on the microbiota primer. Or you can look at some advanced topics, with links to selected articles in the scientific literature. (Send us an email to request an advanced topic we haven't covered!) Or if you think you're already pretty familiar with this stuff, test your knowledge with a quiz! You can learn more about our study here, including a quick check to see if you'd be eligible to participate. (One of the benefits would be learning more about your own gut microbiota.) And if you find this stuff fascinating, check out the links to articles, podcasts, videos, and other web resources.
Thanks for your interest in our work!
Les Dethlefsen, Ph.D.
Thanks for your interest in our work!
Les Dethlefsen, Ph.D.
