A team from MIT sequenced bacteria samples from the
digestive system which can be accessed by researchers to use in the development
of treatments.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) and the Broad Institute, US, have isolated and preserved nearly 8,000
strains of bacteria samples from the human digestive tract. The dataset is
available to other researchers who wish to use it.
According to the developers, the information may help
researchers to create new treatments for a variety of diseases. The team have
also identified the genetic and metabolic context of the samples in the BIO-ML
database.
“There’s a lot of excitement in the microbiome field because
there are associations between these bacteria and health and disease. But we’re
lacking in being able to understand why that is, what’s the mechanism and what
are the functions of those bacteria that are causing them to associate with
disease,†said Eric Alm, director of MIT’s Center for Microbiome Informatics
and Therapeutics, who is the senior author of the study.
The researchers collected stool samples from approximately
90 people for up to two years. They isolated a total of 7,758 strains from the
six major phyla of bacteria that dominate the digestive tract. For 3,632 of
these strains, the team sequenced the full genomes and they also sequenced
partial genomes of the remaining strains.
They are now gathering more samples from around the globe to
expand their database further.
“More than ever before, modern techniques allow us to
isolate previously uncultured human gut bacteria. Exploring this genetic and
functional diversity is fascinating – everywhere we look, we discover new
things. I’m convinced that enriching biobanks with a large diversity of strains
from individuals living diverse lifestyles is essential for future advancements
in human microbiome research,†added Mathilde Poyet, a senior postdoc at MIT
and one of the lead authors of the study.
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