A new tool developed by Israeli scientists is making it possible to map all the proteins excreted from the body in feces, providing a deeper understanding of gut bacteria and their impact on a range of diseases.
This breakthrough method opens up new possibilities for targeted therapies for diseases influenced by the microbiome, such as inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Recently published in the peer-reviewed Cell, the Weizmann Institute research details a method that could change how scientists study and understand human digestion and health.
“The currently accepted method for this is DNA sequencing of bacteria in stool samples, but the information obtained with this method is very limited,” said Prof. Eran Elinav, in whose lab the researchers worked. “We knew that if we could map the proteins produced by gut bacteria, we would be able to know much more – not only which bacteria are in the gut, but also what activities they perform, and how these activities affect the human body in health and disease.”