Methane, Microbes, and More: Archaea in the Human Microbiome

Archaea, a distinct domain of life, play critical yet often overlooked roles in the human microbiome. Despite their recognition as members of the human microbiota since the 1970s, archaea remain understudied due to their non-pathogenic nature and technical challenges. In this talk, I will explore the multifaceted contributions of archaea to human health, focusing on their role in fiber digestion, methane production, and interactions with the host.

Recent advances from my research have unveiled more than 1,000 archaeal genomes from the human gut, encoding 1.8 million genes, half of which have unknown functions. These findings highlight the untapped potential of archaea in shaping microbiome and human physiology. Through a combination of metagenomics, comparative genomics, and laboratory-based studies such as targeted cultivation, we aim to understand the functional and ecological roles of archaea across diverse human microbiomes, including the gut, respiratory tract, and skin.