Chapter 40 - Key model systems in animal–microbe beneficial interactions

Abstract

The coevolution and coadaptation of animals and the bacterial kingdom under environmental selective pressures have led to the emergence of interest among researchers to analyze the impact of the gut microbiome on physiology as well as on the propensity of diseases. This in turn has been fostered by the revolution taking place in meta “omics” in terms of advancements made in the sequencing and in the development of its analytic pipeline. However, analyzing the role of microbes in the human body is not yet acceptable and hence demands the utilization of animal models for getting a better insight into their interactions with different human organs. In this purview, this chapter will summarize the critical insight regarding how host microbiome cross-talk is constructed and maintained and how animal model systems can contribute in translating the human microbiome roles in host health and diseases.