title: Characterization of the gastrointestinal microbiota in health and inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: The enteric bacterial flora play a key role in maintaining health. Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with quantitative and qualitative alterations in the microbiota. Early characterization of the microbiota involved culture-dependent techniques. The advent of metagenomic techniques, however, allows for structural and functional characterization using culture-independent methods. Changes in diversity, together with quantitative alterations in specific bacterial species, have been identified. The functional significance of these changes, and their pathogenic role, remain to be elucidated.
authors: St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: De Cruz
authors: Lani
authors: L
authors: Prideaux
authors: Josef
authors: J
authors: Wagner
authors: Siew C
authors: SC
authors: Ng
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: McSweeney
authors: Carl
authors: C
authors: Kirkwood
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Morrison
authors: Michael A
authors: MA
authors: Kamm