1021-Adaptive Genome-Wide Sweeps in Human Gut Microbiome

Paper Talk · May 24, 2026 · 20m

This research explores how genome-wide selective sweeps (GWSSs) act as a fundamental evolutionary mechanism to organize the human gut microbiome into distinct ecological units. By analyzing thousands of bacterial genomes and metagenomes, the authors identified 124 confirmed sweep clusters across 66 different taxa, revealing that these populations can spread globally within decades. The study demonstrates that these genetically cohesive clusters are not just random variations but are ecologically differentiated populations with specific associations to host conditions like colorectal cancer…