Grapefruits and Mohawks: The Fountain of Youth? Synopsis: The process of aging has been of interest for millennia. Myths of the fountain of youth still have their allure of longevity. Scientists today believe that the fountain of youth is our gut microbiota. The delicate balance of microbes that make up the gut microbiota can be disrupted with the use of xenobiotics. Resulting gastrointestinal problems have been associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recent research reveals how treatment with probiotics ameliorates behavior related abnormalities observed in mice displaying ASD. Microbe based therapies in ASD patients with out of balance gut microbiota, may be an exciting direction for future treatment options. For more information on applications of Illumina technology in the field of Microbial Genomics, please visit us at Illumina: Microbial Genomics http://www.illumina.com/applications/microbiology.ilmn Products: Genome AnalyzerIIx: http://support.illumina.com/sequencing/sequencing_instruments/genome_analyzer_iix.html MiSeq: http://systems.illumina.com/systems/miseq.ilmn HiSeq: http://systems.illumina.com/systems/hiseq_2500_1500.ilmn Publications: PMID: 24686447 | Kibe R., et al. (2014): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24686447 PMID: 23332745 | Maurice C.F., et al. (2013): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23332745 PMID: 24315484 | Hsiao E.Y., et al. (2013): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24315484 Reviews: Virus Detection and Research: http://www.illumina.com/documents/products/research_reviews/viral_detection_research_review.pdf Metagenomics 2nd Edition: http://www.illumina.com/documents/products/research_reviews/metagenomics_research_review.pdf The Science Mondays (SciMon) series is brought to you by Illumina http://www.illumina.com/ Illumina hosts Swati Kadam, Ph.D., Scientific Liaison, Scientific Affairs and Jacques Retief, Associate Director Scientific Affairs deliver 7 minutes of scientific enlightenment on the latest discoveries.