An online atlas of human plasma metabolite signatures of gut microbiome composition
How does the gut microbiome influence the plasma metabolites and human health?
A new study from Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, Lund University & Clinical Microbiomics, published in Nature Communications, is paving the way towards a better understanding of the influence of the gut microbiome on human health via plasma metabolites. Researchers established the GUTSY atlas – a resource where researchers can access over 500,000+ associations between specific bacterial species of the human gut and plasma metabolites, and nearly 1000 associations between microbiome compositions (alpha diversity) and plasma metabolites.
Our colleagues Aron Eklund, Jacob Bak Holm, Nynne Nielsen, H. Bjørn Nielsen and many other supported this incredible project. The atlas was created by analyzing samples and data from the large population-based Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) cross-sectional study – spearheaded by Tove Fall and Marju-Orho Melander.
At Clinical Microbiomics we analyzed the gut microbiota of 8,583 participants, aged 50-64, using deep metagenomic sequencing and de-novo assembly of a cohort-specific gut-microbiome database making SCAPIS the world’s best-described microbiome cohort. This was analyzed in combination with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography linked to mass spectrometry.
The GUTSY atlas is the worlds largest dataset combining metagenomic data from the gut and plasma metabolites. The atlas provides an incredibly promising tool for researchers to better understand the connections and interplay between the gut microbiome and human health. A first analysis showed that 58% of the variance of individual plasma metabolites is/can be explained by the microbiome.
At Clinical Microbiomics we help scientists worldwide understand how the microbiome impact health and disease. With our recent acquisition of MS-Omics, we are now forming the leading provider of integrated metagenomics and metabolomics research services for the microbiome field.
Read the full publication here.
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