I qualify my work as a microbiome researcher as host-centred, exploring interactions between microbiota composition/metabolic activity and human health/well-being. While my research led to major advances in analytical methodology and yielded novel insights in gut ecology, I never considered these achievements end-points, but rather essential steps on a roadmap to unlock the full diagnostic, prognostic, and even therapeutic potential of the gut microbiota. The ultimate goal of my work as a microbiome scientist is to promote human health and wellbeing through the modulation of the gut microbial ecosystem – by means of dietary interventions (including the use of pre- and probiotics), drug repurposing or development, or bacteriotherapy. To achieve this goal, I aim at translating ecological insights in gut microbiota dynamics into novel modulation strategies for health applications.