The French Gut project
The project includes several scientific axes:
- Map the gut microbiota in France, to better define the composition of healthy gut microbiota and deepen knowledge on the links between gut microbiota, diet and lifestyle.
- Model and predict changes in the gut microbiota associated with disease. Scientists will study the link between gut microbiota and chronic diseases (diabetes, obesity, cancer, etc.), neurodevelopmental disorders (autism, bipolar disorder, etc.) and neurodegenerative diseases (including Parkinson’s disease).
- Describe variations in the gut microbiota associated with the presence and development of certain diseases. In particular, the link between intestinal microbiota and functional disorders: irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, obesity, cancer, Parkinson’s, autism, bipolarity, …
The French Gut will allow, from the scientific knowledge generated, to move towards apersonalized preventive nutrition. It will also pave the way for innovative diagnostics and therapies, especially in the context of chronic diseases that have been steadily increasing and uncontrolled for three generations.
It will also raise awareness among the general public, adults and children, about the gut microbiota and its link with health and nutrition.
The French Gut is a national project led by INRAE and carried out in collaboration with AP-HP. It is conducted in partnership with public institutions and private actors involved in the field of microbiota. This major project is aligned with the One health concept and is part of one of the INRAE 2030 strategic objectives, which is to promote a global approach to health .
Officially launched on October 26th, 2019 at the 14th International Conference on Genomics (ICG-14)
The project in a few facts:
- Analyze 1 million microbial samples from intestines, mouth, skin, reproductive tract…
- Draw a microbiome map of the human body,
- Build the world’s largest database of human microbiome,
- Solid data foundation for microbiome research,
- Explore the potential of the microbiome to help people live better lives.
MGP is a founding member of MMHP https://db.cngb.org/mmhp/and participes to MMHP by bringing 100,000 French gut metagenomes
International microbiome research program:
• Karolinska Institute of Sweden
• Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases in China
• University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Technical University of Denmark
• MetaGenoPolis at the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRAE), France
• Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre
• Shenzhen BGI Research
• but also other countries join the project: Latvia, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Finland, Norway, Estonia.