Sampling frequency matters: mapping of the healthy infants' gut microbiome during the first year of life.

ABSTRACT: Early life events significantly influence the developing gut microbiome, yet the response time and duration of microbiome changes to specific factors, such as vaccination or solid food introduction, remain unclear. Consequently, determining the optimal sampling frequency to monitor gut microbiome development is challenging. This study monitored gut microbiome plasticity using 16S rRNA gene sequencing almost daily in one infant (A) and weekly in 12 others (B-M) during their first year. Changes were linked to external factors and their duration analyzed. Three bacterial colonization groups emerged: "Early-life colonizers," "Re-appearing colonizers," and "Later-colonizers." Weekly sampling underestimated microbiome variability, as individual samples within the same week differed by over 1 Sha

SUBMITTER: Micenkova L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12466160 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature