Researchers from Mayo Clinic have published a new study on the gut microbiome and C. difficile in the journal Science Translational Medicine: http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/10/464/eaam7019. Using a novel mouse model, the researchers found that a subset of patients with diarrhea may be susceptible to C. difficile infection as a result of deleterious changes in their gut bacteria and increased availability of amino acids, the favored food source for the pathogen C. difficile. The researchers also found that fecal microbiota transplant or dietary restriction can decrease amino acids availability and prevent C. difficile infection.