Publication Date
11-1-2024
Journal
Nature Microbiology
DOI
10.1038/s41564-024-01827-2
PMID
39478083
PMCID
PMC11660114
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
12-20-2024
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Author MSS
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Microbiota, Synthetic Biology, Microbial Consortia, Humans, Microbial Interactions
Abstract
The design and use of synthetic communities, or SynComs, is one of the most promising strategies for disentangling the complex interactions within microbial communities, and between these communities and their hosts. Compared to natural communities, these simplified consortia provide the opportunity to study ecological interactions at tractable scales, as well as facilitating reproducibility and fostering interdisciplinary science. However, the effective implementation of the SynCom approach requires several important considerations regarding the development and application of these model systems. There are also emerging ethical considerations when both designing and deploying SynComs in clinical, agricultural or environmental settings. Here we outline current best practices in developing, implementing and evaluating SynComs across different systems, including a focus on important ethical considerations for SynCom research.