Microbes and men : war and peace on mucous surfaces (1)

The first lecture was an update on commensal flora, in particular intestinal flora, and gave a very up-to-date overview of the role of these flora in the development and maintenance of tissue homeostasis, largely from the angle of immunology and tolerance mechanisms. This lecture was accompanied by a seminar given by Dr Joël Doré, Director of Research at INRA, on the revolutionary approach represented by metagenomics in the analysis of complex and largely uncultivated flora such as intestinal flora.