In-depth reviews of how gut microbiota are integral to host digestion and nutrition. Microbes liberate short chain fatty acids from indigestible dietary fibers. These fatty acids are an important energy source for intestinal cells and contribute to the immune response and colon cancer. Imbalances in the intestinal mix due to external factors such as antibiotics can cause severe illnesses such as Clostridium DIfficile (CDIFF).

Intestinal bacteria area also implicated in diseases both inside and outside the gut, such as rheumatoid arthritis, colorectal cancer, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD,- Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative colitis), cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. As a cardiologist, I am most interested in the interaction between the microbiome and the heart.