Scientists invent tool to see how 'healthy' your gut microbiome is — does it work?

High-resolution microscope image of bacteria of different shapes and sizes on a a light blue/grey background. Some bacteria look more like blobs, which are either red or purple, while others look like long rods that are turquoise in color. .

The gut microbiome, the community of microorganisms that live in the colon, may shape a person's risk of developing chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Now, scientists have developed a computational tool that they say can reveal how "healthy" a person's gut microbiome is, using data from a single stool sample.

Although the concept is intriguing, experts told Live Science they have reservations about how useful the new tool would actually be to patients.