There is so much overlap between my microbiology class and biochemistry! We recently read a paper about the changes made in gut microbiomes as diets change between vegetable-based and animal-based, including microbial genes coding for amino acid synthesis molecules that were up-regulated or down-regulated based on diet type. Vegetarians needed more support from their microbiomes to synthesize amino acids, and they acted in different pathways than meat-based diets. It got me thinking about the ways our bodies have to adapt in order to keep all 20 amino acids at the correct levels in our systems, which is so important to human health! If you’re interested in the paper, you can find a PDF here: http://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/turnbaugh/Papers/David_nature12820.pdf