Table 2.

The use of mouse models in microbiome studies.

Model	Advantages	Disadvantages
Inbred mice138	Relatively inexpensive Often well-characterized Genetically homogeneous Allow the study of pathogenetic mechanisms	Poorly controlled microbial variability Limited translation potential to humans
Gnotobiotic mice139	Well-controlled microbial variability Allow for better understanding of specific microbe interactions Genetically homogeneous Allow mechanistic studies	Expensive Difficult to maintain Limited translation potential to humans Physiologically less well- understood than conventional animals
Humanized mice130	More relevant to human disease states Genetically homogeneous	Expensive Difficult to maintain Physiologically less well- understood than non-chimeric animals
Conventionalized gnotobiotic mice140	Well-controlled microbial variability Allow for better understanding of specific microbe interactions Genetically homogeneous Allow mechanistic studies Do not require specialized xenobiotic facilities	Physiologically less well- understood than conventional animals “Artificial” colonization using known microbiota may not be representative of real-world situation