New methods and technologies within the field of lung biology are beginning to shed new
light into the microbial world of the respiratory tract. Long considered to be a sterile�…

The revolution in microbiota research over the past decade has provided invaluable
knowledge about the function of the microbial species that inhabit the human body. It has�…

Metabolites from intestinal microbiota are key determinants of host-microbe mutualism and,
consequently, the health or disease of the intestinal tract. However, whether such host�…

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPDs) are episodes of
symptom worsening 1 that have significant adverse consequences for patients. 2 The�…

Although the notion that “the normal lung is free from bacteria” remains common in
textbooks, it is virtually always stated without citation or argument. The lungs are constantly�…

The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, has become a public health
emergency of global concern. Like the SARS and influenza pandemics, there have been a�…

No studies have examined the relationships between bacterial communities along sites of
the upper aerodigestive tract of an individual subject. Our objective was to perform an�…

Rationale: Defining the biogeography of bacterial populations in human body habitats is a
high priority for understanding microbial–host relationships in health and disease. The�…

The healthy lung was long thought of as sterile, but recent advances using molecular
sequencing approaches have detected bacteria at low levels. Healthy lung bacteria largely�…

Host–microorganism interactions shape local cell functionality, immune responses, and can
influence disease development. Evidence indicates that the impact of host–microbe�…