The gut microbiome matters for patients taking antibiotics Fecal transplants began as early as the first or second century as part of Chinese medicine. I used to joke about poop (fecal) transplants; I never thought I would dedicate my professional career to this topic. My father was an agricultural engineer who managed a wastewater treatment facility. Who knew I would follow in his footsteps with studying waste as a therapeutic? Antibiotics are lifesaving tools but can come with risks. To illustrate this, think about tending to a garden. Antibiotics kill everything in the patient’s gut garden (or microbiome)—the helpful (good