Knowledge Mapping of International Microbiota Research: Analyzing Thirty-Year Citation Classics and Exploring Future Expectations.

Abstract

Microbiota research has rapidly emerged as a pivotal field, with over 250,000 publications and more than ten million citations recorded in the Web of Science Core Collection database by 2024. There were 1682 original microbiota citation classics (each receiving 400 citations or more) identified over the past three decades, totaling 1,559,594 citations and averaging 927 citations per paper. Collaborative efforts in the production of these citation classics involved 87 out of 89 participating countries and 2107 out of 2142 institutions. The USA, various European countries, and China emerged as the leading contributors to this burgeoning research area. Jeffrey I. Gordon, Rob Knight, and Curtis Huttenhower were the prominent figures in microbiota research. Author keywords were analyzed, which revealed a notable shift in research focus from environmental microorganisms to human gut microbiota. Advances such as high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing and metagenomics expanded the scope of investigations into host-microbiota interactions. Current research interests encompass exploring mechanisms underlying gut-X-axis conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes, colorectal cancer, liver diseases, and neurological disorders. Moreover, environmental exposures have been evidenced to alter gut microbiota and metabolites, contributing a novel research direction. Future research direction is also anticipated to delve further into biosynthetic gene engineering technologies aimed at microbial interventions, including probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation. This study outlines the evolving landscape of microbiota research and provides valuable insights to inform future investigations within the field.