# Exploring the resilience and stability of a defined human gut microbiota consortium: An isothermal microcalorimetric study

## TL;DR

This study examines how a group of three gut bacteria maintains stability and resilience when grown together, using heat measurements and genetic analysis.

## Contribution

The study introduces a new method to assess the resilience of a defined human gut microbiota consortium using isothermal microcalorimetry and 16S rRNA sequencing.

## Key findings

- The bacterial consortium reached stability after three passages and showed resilience to initial composition changes.
- The consortium produced nearly twice as much butyrate compared to a monoculture of F. prausnitzii.
- There was a slight metabolic interaction between the bacterial strains in the consortium.

## Abstract

The gut microbiota significantly contributes to human health and well‐being. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability and resilience of a consortium composed of three next‐generation probiotics (NGPs) candidates originally found in the human gut. The growth patterns of Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were studied both individually and consortium. The growth kinetics of Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila), Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. thetaiotaomicron), and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii) were characterized both individually and in consortium using isothermal microcalorimetry and 16S ribosomal RNA next‐generation sequencing. The consortium reached stability after three passages and demonstrated resilience to changes in its initial composition. The concentration of butyrate produced was nearly twice as high in the consortium compared to the monoculture of F. prausnitzii. The experimental conditions and methodologies used in this article are a solid foundation for developing further complex consortia.

This research examined the stability and resilience of a consortium of human gut bacteria, namely Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, in a nutrient‐rich medium using mucin as the carbon source. The study employed an isothermal microcalorimeter to monitor the growth of individual strains and their consortium. The results indicated a slight metabolic interaction between the strains, a stability and acute resilience of the consortium composition.