Care Triad

The Microbiota Vault

In January, I moderated a symposium that was based (virtually) in Peru to discuss preserving both the culture and the microbes of its indigenous people. Similar events, organized by the Global Microbiome Network, are planned in other regions around the world where indigenous populations still exist. Why is this important?

I’ve written before (here and here) about the importance of a healthy microbiota – those trillions of microbes that live in and on our bodies, especially in the gut. The collection of genes inside these microbial cells in called the microbiome. There are more genes in the microbiome than there are genes in the human body. These microbial genes perform necessary functions in our bodies like helping to digest food and producing vitamins. If some of these microbes die off, the functions performed by their genes are also lost. The loss of microbial species in our guts appears to be playing a role in the rise in chronic diseases that we are seeing in industrialized society. More and more research studies confirm the role of the microbiome in health and disease.

The microbiome plays an important role in numerous diseases. New research suggests that the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) is related to the bacteria in the gut and their interaction with the immune system. Other studies demonstrate that the gut bacteria influence how well the body responds to cancer chemotherapy. There’s also evidence that the microbiome controls the body’s immune reaction to organ transplantation. We’ve known for some time that the microbiome is likely involved in the development of diabetes, hypertension, obesity and perhaps all chronic diseases.

The microbiome is also important in staying healthy. A study of children in day care in Sweden showed that more exposure to the outdoors led to a greater variety of bacteria in their guts and healthier immune systems. There’s also data that the microbiome of pregnant women not only influences their own mental health but also the mental and physical health of their babies. Having a diverse collection of bacteria in the gut may even influence fertility and athletic performance. 

We know for sure that our modern lifestyle is making some important bacterial species extinct. This is likely related to overuse of antibiotics, eating processed foods that our gut bacteria can’t digest and avoiding foods like fresh fruits and vegetables that they need to survive.

Researchers have identified bacteria in indigenous populations that are not usually seen in people in more developed areas. These indigenous people are much less likely to develop many of the diseases we see in modern society and researchers believe that the microbiome plays a role. The Microbiota Vault is a global non-profit initiative to save and store the bacteria of native people around the world before they become extinct. The MV will be housed in a centralized location using the latest technology for safe storage and preservation. The initiative is designed to engage local scientists and indigenous people in collecting the samples and in performing important microbiome research.

The symposium was attended by over 1000 people from 34 countries. Future symposia are planned around the world to help engage local communities in preserving the microbial species of their indigenous people before it is too late. Worldwide health depends on it.