The textile web as a probiotic interface.

The home as a textile web functions as a dynamic, probiotic interface that supports externalized mucosal defense and immune system education.

• Why it matters: Current microbiome research focuses on hard surfaces, neglecting soft materials that are central to human-microbial exchange and immune regulation in domestic spaces.
• What they did: The authors propose a theoretical framework based on immunology principles, viewing textiles as designable, porous microbial reactors that enable proactive probiotic rituals.
• The result: This approach suggests that domestic cleaning and textile design can shape microbial ecology and immune education, transforming the home into a tolerogenic exoskeleton that protects and primes the human holobiont.