The field of human microbiome research has grown rapidly in recent years, but along with it has come a number of myths and misconceptions. In this Perspective, the authors aim to debunk some of these misunderstandings and provide accurate information based on evidence. They cover topics such as the history of microbiome research, the size and weight of the human microbiota, the inheritance of microbiota from the mother, the concept of a “pathobiome,” the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio in obesity, the functional redundancy of the microbiome, the biases of sequencing methods, the need for standardized methodologies, and the culturability of microorganisms. The authors argue that it is important to address these myths in order to maintain accuracy and credibility in the field of microbiome research.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01426-7