Functional Metabolites of the Microbiome

Much of the research on the microbiome has focused on microbial species and how they are associated with health, physiology, or disease. However, the mechanisms of how microbial species impact their host are less understood. The novel experimental findings and reviews in this special issue addresses this research gap and explores how various microbiome-derived functional metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and butyrate, interact with their hosts to impact various physiological functions and disease states. This virtual issue is edited by Elaine Hsiao (University of California, Los Angeles) and Cheng Qian (University of California, Los Angeles).