A resilient microbiome is essential for human health. This community is constantly influenced by microbial, host, and environmental factors. Dysbiosis, a result of perturbations to this interactive community, has significant consequences for host physiology, but our understanding of the related regulatory mechanisms is still emerging.

The establishment and maintenance of a microbial community goes hand in hand with host immunity. As such, we have a growing understanding of microbial-immune crosstalk in modulating the microbiota and bolstering host protection. Understanding the ecology of this complex interplay is crucial for any targeted therapy since disruption of this balance leads to the manifestation of diseases.

This symposium puts the spotlight on the ecology of the human microbiome, its role in shaping host physiology, interplay with the immune system, and how we can use our understanding of these influences for therapeutic applications. It will span the following five sections:

• Ecology of microbiome communities
• Host factors influencing the microbiome
• Immune-microbiome interactions 
• Microbiome impacts on health
• Microbiome perturbations and therapeutic applications

We are excited to bring together experts from various fields, including microbiology, immunology, metabolism, ecology, and precision medicine.

See you in Bruges, Belgium!