Microbiome Lab
Human Microbiome Simulation: Gut Bacteria & Health
The human microbiome simulation explores the vast community of bacteria, archaea, and fungi living symbiotically in and on the human body — particularly in the gut. Students investigate how microbiome composition affects digestion of dietary fiber, synthesis of vitamins, regulation of immune responses, and protection against pathogenic colonization. Unlike the broader microbiology simulation, this tool focuses specifically on host-microbiome interactions and the factors — diet, antibiotics, probiotics — that shape the community over time.
What you can do in this simulation
- Adjust dietary composition and observe how different fiber types selectively enrich specific bacterial groups
- Introduce antibiotic treatment and watch dysbiosis develop as beneficial microbes decline
- Explore how gut bacteria ferment indigestible carbohydrates to produce short-chain fatty acids
- See how the microbiome trains the mucosal immune system and competes with pathogens by colonization resistance
- Model probiotic or prebiotic interventions and track community recovery after disruption
Concepts covered
gut microbiome · dysbiosis · probiotics and prebiotics · host-microbiome interactions · short-chain fatty acids · microbiome diversity
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