The Ecosystem Within

Published: May 2, 2016, 4:19 p.m.

The microbiome is the term doctors use to describe the countless organisms each one of us carries in and on our bodies. In the last few years there's been an explosion of research around how the gut microbiome is linked with our health. As Microbiologist Justin Sonnenburg tells producer Anna Lee, our microbiomes are like the control center of our bodies, affecting cognition, digestion, mood, and overall wellbeing. It turns out that that much of the current research into our gut microbiomes is best examined through the prism of environmental sciences. The challenges we face in the Anthropocene are the same challenges faced by the ecosystems we carry within. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices