Data from: An in vitro analysis of how lactose modifies the gut microbiota structure and function of adults in a donor-independent manner

The impact of lactose on the gut microbiota of healthy adults was examined, using a short-term, in vitro strategy where fecal samples harvested from 18 donors were cultured anaerobically with and without lactose. Donors represented 3 adult age groups. Data collected include: amplicon sequencing of the V1-V2 regions of the 16S rRNA gene (available in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive associated with BioProject PRJNA883645: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA883645), RT-qPCR of Bifidobacterium 16S rRNA genes, and short-chain fatty acid concentrations.