Council members highlight research gaps: definitions, diagnostics, stewardship and implementation

Council members including Lynn Marks, Padmini Srikantiah and Michael Craig said the meeting underscored both scientific opportunity and knowledge gaps. They urged prioritizing studies that link microbiome changes to measurable clinical endpoints, emphasize diagnostic intended use, and pursue implementation research to scale effective interventions into clinical and agricultural settings.

Speakers repeatedly returned to practical implementation: clinician education and training, registries to track outcomes, and careful stewardship to avoid unintended harms if new therapeutics are widely distributed without appropriate controls. No votes occurred; these points were offered as advice for PACCARB's forthcoming recommendations to HHS and other agencies.