Viruses and bacteria get a bad rap around the world but now Flinders University experts are identifying the positive ‘upside’ of powerful benefits that microbes have on human health.    

Flinders microbial ecologist Dr Jake Robinson and colleagues have presented a timely reminder of these ‘invisible friends’ in a new article published in Microbial Biotechnology, underlining the benefits of moving away from a threat-centred view of microbes and biogenic compounds.

A gut microbe called Turicibacter reduces weight gain and lowers blood sugar and levels of fat in the blood in mice. If the results apply in humans, Turicibacter-derived compounds could be effective therapeutics to promote metabolic health and healthy weight.