The gut and brain may seem like separate biological systems, but scientists at Duke University have been showing how they are connected in unexpected ways.

Diego V Bohórquez, PhD, neuroscientist and associate professor of medicine and cell biology at the Duke School of Medicine, and his team have discovered a “neurobiotic sense”, by which gut microbes communicate directly and virtually instantaneously with the brain.

During a virtual conversation, Bohórquez leans toward his camera and taps his abdomen. “What’s happening here,” he says, before pointing to his head, “affects what’s happening here.”

That simple gesture reflects his life’s work. Bohórquez studies the rapid, two-way conversation along the gut-brain axis. Once treated as separate systems, the digestive tract and the nervous system are now known to communicate constantly, trading signals that can influence mood, metabolism, disease, and how we age. 

The gut is home to trillions of microbes that help break down food and produce reactive molecules. Over time, those molecules can trigger oxidative stress, damage cells, and fuel inflammation. Bohórquez’s research suggests the brain may be picking up these microbial signals far more directly than scientists once believed. 

His team identified specialized intestinal cells, known as neuropod cells, that act like sensory messengers. These cells pick up flagellin—a common molecule found in many gut bacteria—and send that information to the brain through the vagus nerve almost instantly. 

"I think this work will be especially helpful for the broader scientific community to explain how our behaviour is influenced by microbes."

That rapid signal can change feeding behaviour, revealing a previously unknown direct gut to brain communication channel Bohórquez calls the “neurobiotic sense”. 

He and his research team believe this neurobiotic sense may be a broader platform for understanding how the gut detects microbes influencing everything from eating habits to mood—and even how the brain might shape the microbiome in return. His recent research shows that the neurobiotic sense acts in the absence of any inflammation. 

“It is a common biological pathway—much like the senses of smell or taste—for bacteria to influence host behavior by using neuropods as the entry point to the neural network,” Bohórquez said. 

The discovery raises bigger questions. If the brain can get instant updates about what gut microbes are doing and respond to them, it may also pick up early warnings about chemical stress in the gut—stress that builds with age, diet, and disease. 

Scientists have long known that ageing leaves its mark throughout the body—from fraying DNA to a slowing immune system. A growing wave of research suggests that the gut may be an unexpected starting point for some of those changes. 

Over decades, signals from the gut could shape cognition, metabolism, and the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. 

“I think this work will be especially helpful for the broader scientific community to explain how our behaviour is influenced by microbes,” said Bohórquez. “One clear next step is to investigate how specific diets change the microbial landscape in the gut. That could be a key piece of the puzzle in conditions like obesity or psychiatric disorders.” 

Researchers say understanding these pathways could lead to new ways to protect the ageing brain—from diet changes and microbiome-targeted therapies to treatments designed to keep the gut’s microbial community in balance.

Adapted by Daryl Li from The wisdom of the gut, which first appeared in the Spring 2026 print edition of Magnify, Duke University School of Medicine’s Magazine.