Why does the gut microbiome lose its balance as we age? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) in Jena now present a new explanation in a paper published in “PLoS Biology”. According to the study, the age-related destabilization of the microbiome is not primarily due to changes in the microorganisms themselves, but rather to a decline in immune surveillance. When the aging immune system loses its control function, individual microorganisms can gain the upper hand and disrupt the microbial balance. The study opens new perspectives for understanding healthy aging.