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Page 12 of 15 Ladeira et al. Microbiome Res Rep 2023;2:9 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/mrr.2023.01

studied specifically in future studies. Another limitation of this study is that only cross-sectional analysis
was performed. However, a previous metagenomic analysis revealed that the B. longum, B. adolescentis, and
[64]
B. bifidum communities remained stable within individuals over a period of several years , consistent with
[65]
the stability of the genus Bifidobacterium reported in a 10-year study .

This study is novel in the stratification of the gut microbiome according to specific resident bacterial species
and the association with ecological features of the gut microbiome and health. These features could be
applied to other genera. This first such study may provide insights for further investigations of the
association between partitions and more exhaustive analyses of the host and environmental factors,
including dietary habits. This exploratory study constitutes a first step towards understanding the ecology
and variability of Bifidobacterium, with a view to guiding the selection of specific Bifidobacterium strains for
use in subjects as a function of the partition present.

DECLARATIONS
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Aurélie Cotillard and Matthieu Pichaud for their helpful discussions.

Authors’ contributions
Designed the research: Tap J, Derrien M
Analyzed the data: Tap J, Ladeira R
Interpreted the results: Ladeira R, Tap J, Derrien M
Wrote the manuscript: Ladeira R, Tap J, Derrien M

Availability of data and materials
All the data used in this study are publicly available. CuratedMetagenomicData is available from https://
github.com/waldronlab/curatedMetagenomicData.

Financial support and sponsorship
This work was funded by Danone Nutricia Research.

Conflicts of interest
Julien Tap and Muriel Derrien are employees of Danone Nutricia Research. Ruben Ladeira was an intern at
Danone Nutricia Research at the time of the analysis.

Ethical approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.

Consent for publication
Not applicable.

Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023.

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