It was a major feat when more than a decade ago, scientists deciphered the first human genome, containing 22,000 or so genes. But a massive effort to catalog all the microorganisms that live on and inside human beings shows people’s DNA is vastly outnumbered by that of their microscopic guests, which add another 8 million genes that perform crucial functions such as breaking down nutrients or coordinating the body’s response to disease.
View the original article here: Human microbiome project provides census of thousands of microbes that live in and on us – Boston Globe
