Your roommate’s genes may be shaping your gut bacteria

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Your genes may be shaping someone else’s gut bacteria through microbes you unknowingly share. A new study shows that gut bacteria are influenced not just by your own genes, but by the genes of those you live with. Because microbes can move between individuals, genetic effects can quietly spread through social contact. Credit: Shutterstock The genes of your roommate may be shaping the bacteria in your gut, and your genes may be influencing theirs, according to a rat study published on December 18 in Nature Communications. By examining more than four thousand rats, researchers found that the makeup of the gut microbiome is affected not only by an individual's own genetic makeup but also by the genes of the animals they share their living space with. The findings point to a new way genetics and social interactions are connected. Certain commensal gut microbes can move between individuals through close contact. While genes themselves stay put, microbes do not. The study showed that some genes promote the growth of specific gut bacteria, and those bacteria can spread s
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