The introduction of next generation sequencing and other molecular techniques has greatly aided research on human gut microbiota. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiota is involved in regulating host health as well as influencing therapeutic effects on diseases.

The imbalance and/or dysbiosis of gut microbiota is linked to inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, allergy, obesity, colon cancer, mental illness, and other diseases. Considering the pivotal role of intestinal microbiota in host health, various interventions, e.g. dietary regulation and probiotic supplement, can be applied to restore the balance of the disturbed gut microbiota of patients, which show a sound effect on preventing and treatment of various diseases.

In this Special Issue, we welcome submissions including original research articles, clinical studies, and reviews that contribute innovative knowledge to understand gut microbiota and its function in diseases.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Studies using one or a combination of metagenomics, metabonomics, and transcriptomics to reveal the interaction between microbes and host health (e.g. animal models, human volunteers)
• Isolation and characterization of new beneficial microorganisms from food and host intestines
• Function and mechanisms of diet, prebiotics, probiotics, and symbiotics for personalized nutrition in the prevention and treatment of diseases
• Engineered commensal bacteria (e.g. lactic acid bacteria, baker’s yeast) and engineered pathogenic bacteria (e.g. Salmonella thyphimurium) in the treatment and prevention of diseases
• Studies characterizing gut microbiota in disease development, host immunity, and medical treatment using molecular biology and multi-omics to reveal deeper mechanisms between microbes and host health