Why scientists are preserving gut bacteria from around the world

Over the past decade, numerous studies have shown that the microbial diversity in the gut directly correlates with our health. That’s why alarm bells are ringing in western societies where research shows the microbiota has been reduced due to industrialization and lifestyle.
To help maintain and improve the health of current and future generations, a global initiative of scientists, led by Dr Maria Dominguez-Bello of Rutgers University, has a plan; secure the naturally evolved diversity of microbiota in a vault. Razor speaks to Dr Dominguez-Bello and also travels to Switzerland where scientists have started to catalogue and preserve fecal samples collected from more traditional societies around the world.
Photo credits:
Microbiome of a Kiss (Title): © M Oeggerli 2019, supported by Pathology and Microbiology, Univ. Hospital Basel, and C-CINA, Biozentrum, University Basel.
Work 2: human Microbiome (Title): © M Oeggerli 2015, supported by HP Marti,Swiss TPH, Pathologie, University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW, Muttenz.

[@Kognitosan]

Village Elder: You want to pay me for my poop? Wait here. I'll brb!

[@HeartFeltGesture]

Its not only the human gut microbiome that is in danger. Its the microbiota that live in soil that has been decimated by pesticides and modern agricultural practices, and as a result, had a radically negative effect on the nutrition profile of food.

[@jedadruled984]

Lets hope that our Gain of Function experts make a new and better virus and save the planet.

[@notmyrealaccount8564]

Clever idea but how do they know that one person’s bacteria is going to be good for another? I remember hearing about that ‘transpoosion’ where they implanted someone’s bacteria into another person who then lost weight and became thin like the donor. I think it was just an accident but presumably something negative could’ve happen instead. Something feels weird about taking the gut bacteria from poorer developing countries and harvesting them for people in developed countries though but I guess it has to be done.

[@jennodine]

We’ve been losing them from the first studies in 2012. Nobody know for how long before that.

[@2542genius]

someone need to get elon musks bacteria asap.

[@Kognitosan]

Billionaire Incel poop samples are the NFTs of the micobiome world

[@stephss]

EAT PLANTS FFS