Microbiota and metabolism: what's new in 2018?

The concept that the gut microbiota plays a broadly important role in health and disease in general, and metabolic health in particular, is now well established. However, many of the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood while approaches to reliably manipulate the microbiota to promote health have not yet been clearly defined. Nonetheless, progress in these areas is steadily accelerating. Herein, we review select areas of progress that have been made in the last year that should hasten the era in which the microbiota can be therapeutically manipulated to promote metabolic health.