Research
Modern life is changing the DNA of bacteria in our guts
Earth.com · By Sanjana Gajbhiye ·
The Brief
- A study of nearly 6,000 gut bacterial genomes was reported by Earth.com on 2026-11-08.
- Diet, antibiotics, and indoor plumbing are known to influence which bacteria settle in the human gut.
- The study investigates whether gut bacteria themselves have been evolving in response to modern life.
Why it matters
It suggests that modern lifestyle factors may be changing gut bacteria at the genetic level, not only their presence in the gut, which matters for research on human microbiomes.
- #gut microbiome
- #bacteria
- #evolution
- #genomics
- #modern life
Diet, antibiotics, and indoor plumbing help shape which bacteria settle into a person’s gut. That much has been clear for years. What researchers couldn’t say is whether the bacteria themselves have been evolving in response. A study of nearly 6,000 gut bacterial genomes finds…