Are we all going guts?

Historically, microbes have been considered as harmful to us, especially to our brain. But microbes can be good for you: you already host trillions of bacteria in your gut. It’s called your microbiota and it has the potential to speak to your brain. After studying how the brain control the gut, scientists now focus on ‘bottom-up’ consequences of this gut-brain communication. Microbes from our gut can impact our brain in many different ways and could participate in triggering psychiatric disorders. Discover how microbes, considered as dangerous, are actually constantly shaping who we are!

Did you know you had life in your intestines, millions of lives? Microorganisms like bacteria and viruses make up your intestinal microbiota, which is considered today as a real organ that exchanges with your gut and communicates with your whole organism. If it becomes unbalanced in its composition, it can lead to chronic pathologies, including psychiatric disorders. We studied a molecule specifically synthesized by gut bacteria, indole. Our studies conducted on animal and humans show that a high indole production is associated with anxiety and mood disorders.