Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
One of the most abundant and important bacteria in the healthy human gut. A major butyrate producer with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Reduced abundance is consistently associated with Crohn's disease and other inflammatory conditions.
Related terms
Butyrate
The most studied short-chain fatty acid, produced primarily by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and other anaerobic bacteria. Butyrate is the primary energy source for colonocytes (colon lining cells) and has anti-inflammatory properties.
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.