Microorganisms that live in and on our bodies have co-evolved with humans and far outnumber even our own cells. Some are perfectly welcome and help the body produce vitamins and amino acids. This collection of bacteira are known as Bacteroidetes: the good guys. They also play an important role in the digestive and immune systems, blood pressure and mental health. It is widely accepted that these microbial populations affect our physiology, and likewise, our behaviours. Our environment can shape which microbes are present in and on us. Intestinal microbes, our so-called gut flora or gut microbiome, are the most extensively characterised of these populations, and have been implicated in chronic inflammation, auto-immunity, diabetes, and obesity.

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