May 3, 2024

Q&A: Gathering Diverse Microbiome Samples

Groussin and Poyet have taken a trip to lots of countries over the past six years to work with local scientists and neighborhoods, set up microbiome sample collections, and save them in a biobank. Their task became an international nonprofit, the Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC), which aims to record the huge variety of the human microbiome and use it to advance science and promote human health.Now both medical professors at the University of Kiel in Germany, Groussin and Poyet are handing the reins of GMbC over to OpenBiome, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that has actually been primarily understood for gathering, screening, and dispersing fecal microbiome samples for the treatment of colitis triggered by an overgrowth of Clostridium difficile. And then we take a trip over there, we meet with them, we train their local personnel– who are typically trainees– on how to process the sample, how to gather the sample, and we go all together to the field in really rural and isolated communities.In many of the countries, we spend the first day in each neighborhood actually trying to explain whats the goal of the project, why its crucial for the microbiome science but also for them to be put on the map, to be represented in microbiome science. We have these topics really at heart, and we want to make sure it will stay that way if in the future the model changes so that we can likewise have possibilities to advance therapies, then its constantly done in a way that once again shares advantages and protects the interests of participants.TS: What would you say has been the most fulfilling part of working on this project?MG: I think I think we grew quite greatly, Mathilde and myself, from a human side and we learned so much about different cultures, various diets, different religious beliefs, spiritual practices, different cultural routines– all of those various things that in fact matter and affect our microbiome as well, which is which is at the core of our own clinical interest. And ultimately, what we truly care about is to have a favorable effect and impact on local researchers and local neighborhoods; we hope they highly get from our collaboration, and thats why we continue being included in trainings, capacity buildings, cooperations, and offering regional collaborators with data and knowledge that we have.TS: Off of that, what do you hope that the field of microbiome research looks like in 10 to twenty years?MG: I believe we are going towards customized medicine in different medical fields, from cancer to immune illness, and the microbiome will be part of that business.

Their project became a worldwide not-for-profit, the Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC), which aims to record the large variety of the human microbiome and utilize it to advance science and promote human health.Now both medical faculty at the University of Kiel in Germany, Groussin and Poyet are handing the reins of GMbC over to OpenBiome, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that has been principally understood for collecting, screening, and dispersing fecal microbiome samples for the treatment of colitis triggered by an overgrowth of Clostridium difficile. And then we take a trip over there, we fulfill with them, we train their local personnel– who are usually students– on how to process the sample, how to collect the sample, and we go all together to the field in extremely rural and isolated communities.In most of the nations, we invest the very first day in each neighborhood actually attempting to discuss whats the goal of the job, why its important for the microbiome science however also for them to be put on the map, to be represented in microbiome science. And eventually, what we truly care about is to have a favorable impact and impact on regional scientists and local communities; we hope they highly acquire from our partnership, and thats why we continue being involved in trainings, capability buildings, cooperations, and offering local collaborators with data and understanding that we have.TS: Off of that, what do you hope that the field of microbiome research looks like in 10 to twenty years?MG: I think we are going towards individualized medication in different medical fields, from cancer to immune illness, and the microbiome will be part of that enterprise.