Current advances in microbiome sciences within the US Department of Defense: part 2 – enabling technologies and environmental microbiomes

Microbiomes involve complex microbial communities wherein the micro-organisms interact with one another as well as their associated hosts or environmental niches. Much of the characterisation of these communities and the associations have been achieved through ‘omics’ technologies, such as metagenomics, metaproteomics and metametabolomics, and model systems. Recent research in host-associated microbiomes has been aimed at understanding the role microbes may play in host fitness or conversely how host activities/conditions may perturb the microbial community, which can further affect host health. These studies have led to the investigation of detection, intervention or modulation methods, which may serve to provide benefits to the host and advance our understanding of microbiome associations. With the clear implications on human health and disease, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has made microbiome research a priority, with the founding of the Tri-Service Microbiome Consortium (TSMC) to enhance collaboration, coordination,and communication of microbiome research among DoD organisations and partners in academia and industry. DoD microbiome research focuses mainly on the following themes: (1) human health and performance, (2) environmental microbiomes and (3) enabling technologies. This review provides an update of current DoD microbiome research efforts centred on enabling technologies and environmental microbiomes and highlights innovative research being done in academia and industry that can be leveraged by the DoD. These topics were also communicated and further discussed in the Fifth Annual TSMC Symposium. This paper forms part of the special issue of BMJ Military Health dedicated to personalised digital technology for mental health in the Armed Forces.