Researchers are investigating a potentially transformative new therapy for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders by using the co-occurrence of brain and gut problems in Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as their guide. The study by the scientists at California Institute Technology (Caltech) is the first to demonstrate that changes in the gut bacteria the community of bacteria that populate the human GI tract can influence autism-like behaviors in a mouse model. (Read: Ten things your student with autism wishes you knew) To study this gut–microbiota–brain interaction the researchers used a mouse model of autism previously developed at Caltech in the laboratory of