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- The pilot phase was launched in September 2022, and the goal is to collect 3,000 samples by the end of the year.
- The intestinal microbiota represents approximately 50,000 billion bacteria, or about 1 kg per person.
100,000…that’s how many stool samples the project researchers took French gut Plan to collect them in France by 2027. The goal is to map the diversity of intestinal microbes present in the French population, based on these stool samples.
Microorganism analysis in microorganism
Microbes are the part of the intestine where a whole group of microorganisms live: bacteria, viruses, parasites and non-pathogenic fungi. The intestinal microflora affects a large part of the body, such as the immune system, the brain, the cardiovascular system, the bone system …
But many mechanisms and effects of germs on the body are still unknown. Therefore, it is the subject of a study that scientists around the world are working on to find links between it and some infections and diseases, or even weight gain, sleep and mood…. Such a study, for example, published in 2021 in review nature metabolism Researchers have shown that the state of our gut microbiota can influence healthy or unhealthy aging.
Recognizing gut bacteria
So we don’t know everything about germs… which is why research is working on it. This time, the Le French Gut project brings together scholars from four public institutions (INRAEAnd the AP-HPAnd the InsermAnd the AgroParisTech) and eleven special partners.
In detail, the goal is to map the gut bacteria of 100,000 French people in order to see the diversity of microbes found in healthy people but also to see how they develop in the case of chronic diseases – such as cancer or diabetes – or neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Towards personalized nutrition based on germs
“A lot of scientific knowledge will be generated, eventually allowing a trend towards personalized preventive nutritioncan we read on the site INRAE. It will also pave the way for innovative diagnoses and treatments“.
To contribute to the project, register on the online platform French gut. You will be asked to sign a consent form and answer a ten to twenty minute questionnaire about your lifestyle and eating habits. Then you will receive a kit for collecting your seats at home, which you simply have to mail. The first results, related to lifestyle and diet, should be available within two years.
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