mikrobiotans
Mikrobiotans is a term used in speculative discussions to describe a proposed class of ultra-small, mobile microbial units that participate in host–microbiome interactions. In this framework, mikrobiotans occupy a niche between free-living microbiota and larger, better characterized microbial communities, acting as transient carriers and mediators of signals that shape microbial ecology and host physiology.
The term mikrobiotans has no formal taxonomic status and is not widely used in peer‑reviewed microbiology.
In hypothetical models, mikrobiotans are imagined as extremely small cells or cell fragments with flexible metabolism,
Research on mikrobiotans remains speculative. Proposed study approaches include high-resolution metagenomics, single-cell genomics, advanced microscopy, and