There is growing evidence - both in animal models and humans - to suggest the significant role of the microbiome in the etiology of rheumatic diseases. Over the years, multiple microbial agents and changes in the composition of the microbiota have been associated with specific autoimmune diseases, only emphasizing the importance of the microbiome in rheumatology research today. To give us further insight into this relevant topic, we are joined in this episode by Maximilian Konig, MD, of the Division of Rheumatology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Veena Taneja, PhD, associate professor of immunology in the Department of Immunology and Rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.