Credit phys.org University of Chicago Credit: Nature Microbiology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01560-2 © Provided by Phys.org T he gut microbiome is so useful to human digestion and health that it is often called an extra digestive organ. This vast collection of bacteria and other microorganisms in the intestine helps us break down foods and produce nutrients or other metabolites that impact human health in a myriad of ways. He Gets Us - Learn a Different Perspective Ad HeGetsUs New research from the University of Chicago shows that some groups of these microbial helpers are amazingly resourceful too, with a large repertoire of genes that help them generate energy for themselves and potentially influence human health as well. The paper, published January 4, 2024, in Nature Microbiology , identified 22 metabolites that three distantly related families of gut bacteria use as alternatives to oxygen for respiration in the anaerobic environment of the gut. The...