Colliding and interacting microbiomes and microbial communities - consequences for human health

Living ‘things’ coexist with microorganisms, known as the microbiota/microbiome that provides essential physiological functions to its host. Despite this reliance, the microbiome is malleable and can be altered by several factors including birth-mode, age, antibiotics, nutrition, and disease. In this minireview, we consider how other microbiomes and microbial communities impact the host microbiome and the host through the concept of microbiome collisions (initial exposures) and interactions. Interactions include changes in host microbiome composition and functionality and/or host responses. Understanding the impact of other microbiomes and microbial communities on the microbiome and host are important considering the decline in human microbiota diversity in the developed world – paralleled by the surge of non-communicable, inflammatory-based diseases. Thus, surrounding ourselves with rich and diverse beneficial microbiomes and microbial communities to collide and interact with should help to diminish the loss in microbial diversity and protect from certain diseases. In the same vein, our microbiomes not only influence our health but potentially the health of those close to us. We also consider strategies for enhanced host microbiome collisions and interactions through the surrounding environment that ensure increased microbiome diversity and functionality contributing to enhanced symbiotic return to the host in terms of health benefit.