Disturbances such as antibiotics and environmental toxicity can alter microbial communities in the gut
Afterward, gut microbe species recover to different extents, resulting in altered proportions of the microbes post-disturbance
Unfortunately, it is still unclear what shapes the composition of gut microbiota ecosystems during recovery
A recent study evaluated these changes in yellow perch after exposure to toxic metals
Researchers exposed the fish to cadmium chloride in the laboratory and then evaluated the microbes on their skin and gut surfaces
DNA sequencing demonstrated that while gut microbes recovered well after exposure
Skin microbes recovered incompletely, resulting in the proliferation of opportunistic pathogens
Interestingly, the type of cadmium exposure also affected recovery
Recovery was better in microbial communities after constant exposure, while gradually increasing exposure altered microbe levels to a greater extent
Although further studies are needed to fully understand how microbes recover after disturbance
The results suggest that the extent of microbiota recovery depends both on the type of exposure and the location of the microbial community
Providing important insight that extends to food industry, ecology, personalized medicine, and beyond