Dynamics of Gut Microbiota Recovery After Antibiotic Exposure in Young and Old Mice

Antibiotics alter the microbial composition of the gut microbiota, and these changes are associated with diminished innate immunity and decline in cognitive function in older adults. The composition of the gut microbiota changes with age over the lifespan. We sought to identify if age is associated with differential recovery of the microbiota after antibiotic exposure. Using 16s rRNA gene sequencing, we compared recovery of the gut microbiota after 10-day broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment in wild-type C57BL/6 young and older mice.