In this interview Francesco Asnicar from CIBIO (University of trento, Italy), discusses new large-scale research on the human microbiome, based on the analysis of more than 35,000 individuals from the UK and the US. The study ranked over 600 microbial species according to their consistent associations with positive or negative markers of cardiometabolic health and diet. These rankings were then tested against public datasets and longitudinal dietary intervention cohorts, showing that microbial species classified as “beneficial” or “unfavourable” reflected patterns linked to healthy weight, obesity and dietary changes.

The interview also explored the relationship between ranked bacterial species and non-bacterial members of the gut microbiome, with particular attention to Blastocystis. Large-scale analyses showed that the presence of Blastocystis was associated with beneficial bacterial profiles, dietary patterns such as vegetarian or vegan diets, and lower BMI values. Francesco Asnicar concludes by addressing the potential clinical use of microbiome-based tests. While these tools are increasingly accessible to the public, their real value depends on expert interpretation, which remains essential to translate microbiome data into meaningful information for clinical practice and population-scale applications.