Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Experts at the University of Nottingham have discovered a more precise way to analyse the human microbiome, which could lead to a better understanding of diseases and disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and some cancers.
In a study published in Nature Microbiology, Dr Fiona Whelan from the School of Life Sciences at the University, found that by combining the standard method of metagenomic sequencing with microbiological culture of bacteria, that they could get a better picture of human microbiome communities.
The human microbiome is the collective set of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes that live on the human body, usually without issue. However, sometimes these communities can become altered which can then contribute to diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and even some cancers.
Microbiome communities are incredibly complex. Standard methods such as metagenomics are akin to sampling the biodiversity of a lake by throwing a large net in the water, measuring the species found in it, and assuming that they are representative of all species in the lake. The new method, called culture-enriched metagenomic sequencing, provides a much larger net by first growing the bacterial members of these communities in the laboratory before measuring them.
Microbiome communities are incredibly complex. Standard methods such as metagenomics are akin to sampling the biodiversity of a lake by throwing a large net in the water, measuring the species found in it, and assuming that they are representative of all species in the lake.
The new method, called culture-enriched metagenomic sequencing, provides a much larger net by first growing the bacterial members of these communities in the laboratory before measuring them.
Allowing them to grow in culture gives a chance for rare species to proliferate, and also gets rid of contaminating DNA from the human that can cause issues in sequencing.
In order to improve how we treat these diseases we need to better understand what is present within these microbiomes and what they are doing. Culture-enriched metagenomic sequencing is one way in which we can better understand these communities so that, ultimately, we can better understand diseases – such as cystic fibrosis and many gut conditions – which are related to the alteration of these communities."
This method began with the work of previous PhD students in the lab that showed that the microbiomes of the lung and gut are culturable, paving the way for culture to be combined with the standard sequencing techniques used in the field of microbiome research.
“This increase in information is largely because culture-enriched metagenomics “biologically bins” the microbial community into different sets of organisms based on which media they grow on, which makes metagenomic sequencing and analysis more straightforward than when sequencing the community without culture. Further, adding a culture step removes human DNA which contaminates standard metagenomics,” adds Dr Whelan.
A full copy of the paper can be found here.
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More information is available from Dr Fiona Whelan at fiona.whelan@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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