A survey on the developmental intestinal microbiota research in China: The history, funding, and frontiers of gut bacteria.

Up to 100 trillion bacteria are harbored in the human intestine with a mutualistic and interdependent relationship with the host during a long period of co-evolution. The so-called intestinal microbiota (IM) fulfill important metabolic tasks and the impaired stability may lead to IM-related diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer (CRC), metabolic syndrome (MS), liver diseases, and so on. Here, we review the past and development of IM research in China, including the achievements that Chinese researchers have made both in basic and clinical scientific field. Moreover, we evaluate the contributions of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the 973 National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), the 863 National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program), and funds from the public health industry in the field of IM research.