Temporal Dynamics of Gut Microbial Succession Driven by Targeted Interventions

Microbial succession—the orderly, temporal process by which gut microbial communities reassemble and reorganize following disturbance—is a fundamental aspect of host–microbe interactions. Disturbances such as antibiotic exposure, infection, dietary disruption, or inflammation can alter community structure and function, creating a window in which targeted interventions may redirect recovery trajectories. While microbiome-based strategies such as probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and emerging microbial or metabolite-based therapeutics are increasingly explored, their effects on the dynamic process of microbial succession remain insufficiently understood. Much of the current literature emphasizes changes in diversity or final clinical outcomes, rather than how interventions shape intermediate community states, ecological transitions, and the mechanisms that govern recovery over time.This Research Topic focuses specifically on gut microbiome succession following a defined intervention. We aim to collect studies that examine how deliberate microbiome-targeted interventions influence the temporal progression of microbial community recovery, reorganization, or stabilization after disturbance within a host context. Of particular interest are studies that move beyond static before-and-after comparisons to investigate how interventions alter succession pathways, modify ecological interactions, promote or inhibit key taxa, and affect functional recovery across time. By narrowing the scope to intervention-based work, this Topic seeks to provide mechanistic insight into how microbiome recovery can be actively steered toward favorable host outcomes.We welcome contributions that investigate, but are not limited to, the following themes:- Longitudinal studies tracking gut microbiome succession after a defined disturbance and a specific intervention- Comparative analyses of different intervention types (e.g., probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, phage therapy, live biotherapeutics, metabolite-based approaches) on succession dynamics- Identification of keystone species, priority effects, and ecological interactions that mediate intervention-driven succession- Mechanistic studies of functional, metabolic, transcriptomic, or signaling changes during intervention-guided succession- Modeling studies that predict succession trajectories, transition points, or alternative stable states under different interventions- Studies examining how host factors such as immunity, metabolism, age, or genetics influence responses to microbiome interventions- Research defining the timing, duration, or sequencing of interventions needed to achieve successful microbial reassembly and host benefitWe invite submissions of original research, reviews, perspectives, and methodological advances that deepen our understanding of how targeted interventions shape gut microbial succession over time. By centering on intervention-based studies, this Research Topic aims to advance a more dynamic and mechanistic framework for designing and evaluating microbiome-directed strategies in health and disease. Topic editors: Getnet Tesfaw, Berhanu Yitayew Sahilu, Wondemagegn Mulu Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79335/temporal-dynamics-of-gut-microbial-succession-driven-by-targeted-interventions