Delta weight gain over the eight week intervention period.

<p>(A) Bac⁺ intervention, when compared to Bac^- intervention, causes a significant reduction in weight gain in diet induced obese mice at weeks 2–4 (early intervention period) but this does not persist with time. (B) Vancomycin treatment results in a two phase reduction in weight gain in diet induced obese mice. In phase one (early; weeks 1–4) a significant reduction in weight gain relative to the initial start weight is observed. In the second phase, diet induced obese mice receiving vancomycin gain weight relative to the initial start weight but weight change continues to be significantly less than that in diet induced obese controls. Data represented as mean SEM n = 9–10 *p<0.05.</p

Microbial distribution at phylum level.

<p>Phylum level microbial distribution in all data sets at intervention week 2 and week 8. The pie charts represent total percentage read number for the corresponding colour coded phylum (<i>n</i> = 9–10 per group).</p

Microbial distribution at family level.

<p>Family level microbial distribution in all data sets at intervention week 2 and week 8. The pie charts represent total percentage read number for the corresponding colour coded family (<i>n</i> = 9–10 per group).</p

Total bacterial number observed in all treatment groups at both time points.

<p>Quantitative PCR reveals that the changes occurring are qualitative not quantitative as no significant difference is observed between time points. Total bacterial numbers calculated as copies of 16 S rRNA/g wet stool. Statistical significant difference between treatment groups is denoted by ***. p value based on kruskal wallis analysis with statistical significant determined as p≤0.05. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean.</p