In the news

Sources: Nature News, New Scientist

A new European programme called MyMicrobes is offering a combined gut bacteria DNA sequencing and social networking service. 

Researchers have shown that humans fall into three main groups or enterotypes with respect to their gut bacterial genetics (see previous news). Now, the same team has responded to a deluge of emails from people with gut problems by setting up MyMicrobes. They sequence participants’ gut DNA at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and use the information for a research database. Contributors receive information about their gut enterotype and have the opportunity to share their own information, opinions and advice with each other. All publicly available data will be anonymised. 

This is an unusual enterprise, but if it meets a large enough demand from members of the public then it could prove highly effective. The problem is likely to be the relatively high price tag of around £1300 (€1,500); although MyMicrobes is a non-profit programme and the actual cost of sequencing is said to be more like £1750 (€2,000) per person, the discount may not be large enough to attract the numbers needed of 5,000 or more participants.