“Microbiota – Current Research and Emerging Trends” edited by Takashi Matsumoto and Yoshio Yamaoka is written by international experts and is intended for advanced trainees established investigators or clinicians seeking to gain or update their understanding of the key topics in microbiome research.
The book emphasizes the common themes in gut microbiome research and focuses on environmental (e.g., diet, probiotics) and host (e.g., aging, oral health) factors as well as therapeutics (e.g., probiotics) in shaping one’s microbiota. Emerging areas such as neurodevelopment and GI cancers are also covered. The book begins with an overview of the influence of diet and aging on gut microbial communities. The importance of infant microbiota and how it impacts health in adulthood was then highlighted with a subsequent discussion on the benefit of probiotics in infants and children to enhance healthy gut microbiota. The use of metaproteomics in studying gut microbiota was then introduced with subsequent chapters discussing the role of oral and gut microbiota in neurodevelopment. The book ends with the emerging concept that GI cancers are mediated by gut microbiota.The length of the book is average, covering selective areas of microbiota research but does not include topics such as intestinal inflammation, metabolic syndrome, or obesity, but the depth of coverage in each selected area is appropriately proportioned to the available literature in the field. There are some color diagrams to help clarify key concepts; otherwise, most of the books use simple diagrams and tables. The organization seems lacking a clear theme and thus felt more like a collection of papers related to gut microbiota. I would recommend this book as adjunct material but not as a general overview of the area due to the broad topics discussed. I recommend that readers also supplement their reading with published review articles for a more comprehensive understanding of the field.
Bottom Line: “Microbiota – Current Research and Emerging Trends” is targeting advanced readers hoping to update their knowledge regarding microbiome research. The book is average in length and covers selective areas of microbiome research including diet, aging, oral health, and probiotics and their relevance to neurodevelopment and GI Cancers. It serves as adjunct reading material and readers should consider supplementing with recently published review articles to gain a more comprehensive view of the field.