Although the clear potential exists to leverage microbiome-based effectors in the future, a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which these effectors influence microbiomes and their broader functional impacts is still needed. Metaproteomics provides the toolbox to identify and monitor microbial effectors . Metaproteomics has proven valuable across diverse applications, including for characterizing the impact of antibiotic therapy on human gut microbiomes , antibiotic resistance in animals and their manure , the impact of mycotoxins on intestinal microbiome of animals , exploring alternative genes encoded in human gut bacteriophages (phages) , identifying the human gut virome and bacteriophage populations within anaerobic digesters .