19 May The BioCollective Brings Public Input Into Microbiome Research
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Martha Carlin
Founder of The BioCollective
MedicalResearch.com Editor’s Note: In recognition of the National Microbiome Initiative (NMI) announced by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Martha Carlin, founder of the The BioCollective, discussed this research effort for the readers of MedicalResearch.com.
‘The BioCollective, is a direct-to-consumer microbiome marketplace where members receive a percentage of revenue from microbiome sample sales to scientists. By becoming a member of The BioCollective, individuals help advance microbiome research and learn about their own microbiome along the way.’
MedicalResearch.com: Would you tell us a little about yourself? How did you become interested in microbiomes?
Martha Carlin: My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in 2002. At the time, John was 44 years old, a marathon runner and life-long athlete. He had always been healthy. We were both perplexed by both his diagnosis and wanted to do everything we could to maintain his quality of life as well as hinder the progression of the disease.
Although I did not have a scientific background, I began studying the many fields of science so that I could piece together my observations of his health and his life history in my search for answers.
After reading Dr. Martin Blaser’s Missing Microbes in 2014, I later connected it to Dr. Filip Scheperjans’ research showing a correlation between the presence or absence of specific gut bacteria and symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease. This accelerated my research and led me to Dr. Jack Gilbert at the University of Chicago who later became one of my co-founders. I started working with Jack on sequencing samples and learning more about the field of microbiome research. From this work, we saw a need for samples to accelerate the research and founded The BioCollective with our third co-founder, Dr. Suzanne Vernon.
MedicalResearch.com: Can you briefly explain what a microbiome is? Does it just refer to the organisms in our intestines or are there other microbiomes? Are microbiomes unique to an individual or a community?
Martha Carlin: The microbiome is the sum total of microbial life in your body – the bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses that call you home. There are 100 trillion microbial cells in your body, and they collectively can influence your health in profound ways. The possibilities in microbiome research are exciting. It has the potential to create technologies as revolutionary as probiotics to prevent obesity and allergies; “living” buildings that reduce the spread of viruses or allergens in schools and offices; personalized diets to treat depression; growth-promoting animal feed that eliminates the need for growth-promoting antibiotics; bacteria to reduce methane production in cows and flooded soils; plant-microbiome interactions that suppress disease and improve productivity, and bacterial cocktails that restore the health of damaged aquatic ecosystems ranging from streams to oceans.
The study of these microbiomes is at an exciting crossroads. Research that was previously considered on the purview of environmental science has become mainstream, with microbiome studies touching every facet of today’s modern scientific program. From medicine, surgery and epidemiology, to agriculture, biotechnology, and ecosystem science, microbiome research can be found wherever we find bacteria, archaea, viruses and single-celled eukaryotes. As these forms of life inhabit virtually every environment on earth, and possibly beyond, the importance of this field should never be underestimated.
Each person has their own unique microbial signature. Research is even showing that microbiome analysis may be better at forensics for crime scene analysis than previous DNA methods as we leave a microbial signature behind.
MedicalResearch.com: What is the mission of the The BioCollective? How might a microbiome play a role in sickle cell disease?
Martha Carlin: The Mission of The BioCollective is to accelerate research by building a ecosystem that shares revenues and data to drive the field of microbiome research forward at a faster pace.
We believe that all members of the value chain should participate in the upside of “mining this microbial dark matter.” Research is just beginning to scratch the surface of how the more than 100 trillion microbes in – and on – our bodies work together with our human cells to aid or disrupt health. In order to effectively research this relationship, scientists need more samples from diverse populations with differing diets, health states, lifestyles, ethnicities, socioeconomic status, and other human factors. The BioCollective was founded to bring a collaborative, market-based approach to this challenge of accelerating research. We share profits from the sale of samples and from discoveries with our members (sample providers). We believe that crowdsourcing and crowd-sharing will accelerate discovery, and this is a matter of human health.
Recently, it has been discovered that sufferers of sickle cell disease (SCD) have fewer acute symptoms and are in better health when taking antibiotic therapy. As you may have guessed, antibiotics drastically change a person’s gut microbiome. This alteration of the microbiome appears to have a beneficial effect on white blood cell function in those with SCD. Despite this good news, treating SCD with antibiotics is not a long-term solution for those affected. This is because several studies have proven that overuse of antibiotics decreases how effective they are as well as having other longer term side effects.
We want to research and discover which bacterial species are helpful and which are harmful for those with SCD. With this insight perhaps, personalized, long-term treatments can be developed that are less disruptive to the gut microbiome than antibiotics yet offer the same benefits.
MedicalResearch.com: How can the public participate in this research?
Martha Carlin: The public can participate in this research by becoming a member of The BioCollective. Members receive a kit for collecting and returning the sample (ick-free) as well as information on the microbial profile of what is in their sample from a 16S sequence. In addition, they will receive a revenue share from the sale of their divided (anonymized) sample to researchers, future profit sharing in company discoveries and information from researchers who work on their samples.
Anyone who is interested in a particular connection to health or disease may also work with us to recruit a cohort for sampling to attract researchers.
Additionally, researchers who are interested in recruiting samples for specific projects may contact us to assist with the recruitment, collection and sample characterization for their studies.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Martha Carlin: Forty-five percent of Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, and many of these diseases are showing a connection to the gut bacteria. Everyday, we are flushing down the toilet the very information we many need to help solve these health problems.
Those interested in helping or learning more should visit us at http://www.thebiocollective.com/press-release-national-microbiome-initiative.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
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Last Updated on May 19, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD