Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are relapsing and remitting chronic conditions of the gut that have a major impact on patients’ quality of life. Current therapeutic approaches aim to reduce symptoms – but their effectiveness varies, and patients may develop tolerances to the drugs. As such, it’s really important to have ways of assessing disease activity to better manage patients. Identifying microbial alterations associated with IBD could provide a diagnostic tool that enables us to spot disease earlier and minimize damage. It also contributes to better understanding of the underlying mechanisms associated with disease pathogenesis, allowing the design of improved therapeutic strategies.