Colonisation Resistance
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
The ability of the resident microbiome to prevent colonisation by pathogenic organisms. A diverse, healthy microbiome provides strong colonisation resistance through competition for nutrients and space, and production of antimicrobial compounds.
Related terms
Microbiome Diversity
The variety and abundance of different microbial species in a given environment. Greater diversity is consistently associated with better health outcomes, while reduced diversity is linked to obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and other chronic conditions.
Dysbiosis
An imbalance in the composition or function of the microbiome, typically characterised by reduced diversity, loss of beneficial bacteria, or overgrowth of potentially harmful species.