Translating Microbiome Science to Society-What's Next?

The microbiome is one of the fastest moving points in medicine and science. Some of the problems impeding effective translation of microbiome discovery to society are political or educational, but they are as important as those relating solely to scientific methodology. Issues that should be resolved quickly include formulating a consensus on standardization of analytical approaches to the microbiome, the use of uniform terminology, and the avoidance of misleading terms, such as dysbiosis-an unnecessary descriptor that facilitates overstatement of results and succeeds only in creating a distancing effect from the truth. In addition, dismissal of flawed concepts such as leaky gut syndrome is overdue. Disparities in results from studies of experimental animal models in comparison with human studies need to be addressed to minimize unrealistic expectations in human diseases. These and other challenges and opportunities for translating microbiome science to society are discussed.