title: What immunologists should know about bacterial communities of the human bowel.
abstract: The human bowel is home to a bacterial community of much complexity. This article summarizes current bacteriological knowledge of the community and highlights topics of potential interest to innovative immunologists. The role of the bacterial community in the development and regulation of the immune system of neonates seems likely to be a particularly important area of future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, 720 Cumberland Street, Dunedin, New Zealand. gerald.tannock@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Gerald W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Tannock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D017753:Ecosystem; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*