Enterotypes

Note work of Peer Bork of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany on enterotypes. Enterotype 1 produces more enzymes for making vitamin B7 (also known as biotin), for example, and Enterotype 2 more enzymes for vitamin B1 (thiamine). The work on the microbiomes (a term coined by Joshua Lederberg ) was reported in Nature.

See Enterotypes of the human gut microbiome :

This indicates further the existence of a limited number of well-balanced host–microbial symbiotic states that might respond differently to diet and drug intake. The enterotypes are mostly driven by species composition, but abundant molecular functions are not necessarily provided by abundant species, highlighting the importance of a functional analysis to understand microbial communities.