• Using shotgun metatranscriptomics and metagenomics to map taxa of healthy vs early stage Parkinson’s patients revealed 40 distinct taxa with altered abundance, including clusters of specific Lactobacilli.

• The approach also revealed shifts in functional transcriptional networks of oral bacteria and the human host.

• This approach thus facilitates identification of biomarkers that may help improve the accuracy of Parkinson’s diagnosis, and indicate potential therapeutic opportunities.

• Current work is expanding the human studies and using in vitro and in vivo mouse models to investigate the possible manipulation of the microbiome to improve Parkinson’s related symptoms.