microbiome
/ˈmaɪkroʊˌbaɪoʊm/
Definition
The collective community of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, that inhabit a specific environment, such as the human gut or a plant growth system.
Etymology
The word is a combination of the Greek 'mikros' meaning 'small' and the Greek 'bios' meaning 'life,' combined with the suffix '-ome' used to denote a collective system. It emerged in the 20th century to describe the complex ecological community of microbes in a host or habitat.
In the news
In this article, the term refers to the microbial communities being studied in space-based environments like the International Space Station's plant growth systems and the human gut during spaceflight. Researchers are monitoring these populations to understand how they are affected by space conditions.
NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,206 2 July 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)
Read the full article ↗Astrobiology Web