Surveying Gut Microbiome Research in Africans: Toward Improved Diversity and Representation.
Descriptive and translational investigations into the human gut microbiome (GM) are rapidly expanding; however, studies are largely restricted to industrialized populations in the USA and Europe. Little is known about microbial variability and its implications for health and disease in other parts of the world. Populations in Africa are particularly underrepresented. What limited research has been performed has focused on a few subject domains, including the impact of long-term lifestyle and dietary factors on GM ecology, its maturation during infancy, and the interrelationships between the microbiome, infectious disease, and undernutrition. Recently, international consortia have laid the groundwork for large-scale genomics and microbiome studies on the continent, with a particular interest in the epidemiologic transition to noncommunicable disease. Here, we survey the current landscape of GM scholarship in Africa and propose actionable recommendations to improve research capacity and output.
['Brewster|Ryan|R|', 'Tamburini|Fiona B|FB|', 'Asiimwe|Edgar|E|', 'Oduaran|Ovokeraye|O|', 'Hazelhurst|Scott|S|', 'Bhatt|Ami S|AS|']
D000349:Africa D044822:Biodiversity D001709:Biotechnology D003141:Communicable Diseases D019295:Computational Biology D004032:Diet D004463:Ecology D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome D023281:Genomics D014943:Global Health D006801:Humans D008019:Life Style D009752:Nutritional Status
microbiome Africa global health