Research output leveraging the GMbC resources
This page presents selected publications that arise from our research activities, projects, and collaborations. These works document the scientific, methodological, and ethical dimensions of our efforts to collect, conserve, and study global human microbiome diversity. As our portfolio of work continues to expand, this page will be updated to include additional peer-reviewed articles, reports, and other scholarly contributions.
Peer-reviewed publications
Phosphorothioate DNA modification by BREX Type 4 systems in the human gut microbiome.
Using large-scale genome collections from the human gut microbiome, this study uncovers widespread phosphorothioate DNA modifications and identifies a new BREX Type 4 epigenetic system. The findings highlight the human gut microbiome as a rich reservoir of previously uncharacterized microbial epigenetic diversity.
Gut microbiota profiles of peninsular Malaysian populations are associated with urbanization and lifestyle.
Leveraging a dataset from Peninsular Malaysia, this study demonstrates clear stratification in gut microbial community structure, diversity, and composition along a rural–urban gradient. The findings underscore how lifestyle and environmental context shape human gut microbiomes across populations.
Elevated rates of horizontal gene transfer in the industrialized human microbiome.
This study shows that gut bacteria from industrialized populations exhibit elevated rates of horizontal gene transfer compared with those from non-industrialized contexts. The findings suggest that industrialization-related environmental and lifestyle factors can reshape microbial genetic exchange and functional potential in the gut microbiome.
Preprints
Industrialization drives convergent microbial and physiological shifts in the human metaorganism.
This preprint presents a global, multimodal analysis of the GMbC cohort to disentangle the effects of industrialization, diet, lifestyle, and host genetics on the human gut microbiome. The study shows that industrialized lifestyles are associated with reduced microbial diversity and stability, altered immune–microbiome interactions, and limited cross-population transferability of microbiome-based disease predictors.
Convergent genomic responses of human gut bacteria to variations in industrialization.
Using comparative analysis of human gut microbiome genomes, this preprint identifies population- and environment-associated patterns in microbial genetic diversity and function. The results contribute to a broader understanding of how human lifestyle and ecology influence the structure and evolution of gut microbial communities.
PT-seq: A method for metagenomic analysis of phosphorothioate epigenetics in complex microbial communities.
This study introduces PT-seq, a high-sensitivity method for mapping phosphorothioate (PT) DNA modifications and identifying PT-containing microbes within complex microbiomes. By enabling robust detection of these epigenetic marks in human gut samples, the approach provides new tools for studying microbial epigenetic diversity and function at the community level.
Unless otherwise noted, publications listed here are authored or co-authored by GMbC researchers and collaborators. Please refer to the original publishers for citation, reuse, and access terms.