The microbiome as a biosensor: functional profiles elucidate hidden stress in hosts.

We demonstrate here that microbial profiling can elucidate stress signals that cannot be observed even through interrogation of host transcriptome, leading to an alternate mechanism for evaluating in situ conditions experienced by host organisms. This study is a proof-of-concept for the use of microbial communities as microsensors, with great potential for interrogation of a wide range of host systems. Video Abstract.