Antibiotic-treated versus germ-free rodents for microbiota transplantation studies

Figures & data

Table 1. Applicability of antibiotic-treated or germ-free rodents. Different research aims within translational microbiome research and the recommended use of either antibiotic-treated or germ-free rodent hosts for the purpose.

	Status of Host
Research Aim	Antibiotic-treated	Germ-free
Investigate microbial phenotype transfer of manifestations known to be microbiota dependent	X	x
Investigate microbial phenotype transfer of manifestations not known to be microbiota dependent		x
Investigate effect of disrupting the microbiome in certain life stages of the host	x
Investigate effect of targeting certain groups of bacteria	x
Investigate effect of monocolonization		x
Investigate effect of colonization with a few, defined organisms		x