maturation of the immune system, as well as the incidence of important health disorders such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and obesity (Cho & Blaser, 2012). The human microbiome has also been recently linked to sleep patterns, mood, and other behaviors (Foster & Neufeld, 2013) and may play a role in the development of behavioral disorders such as autism (Mulle et al., 2013). In recognition of our growing understanding of the importance of microbiomes, the White House recently announced a $500 million investment in the National Microbiome Initiative (https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/05/13/announcing-national-microbiome-initiative).
