2011 Science News of the Year: Genes & Cells

Nicolle Rager Fuller

Boons and busts via gut microbes

Studying the secret lives of bacteria living in human intestines has yielded some unexpected finds. One study suggests that most humans have one of three different combinations of friendly microbes (SN: 5/21/11, p. 14), and another reveals that people’s mix of microbes depends heavily on diet.