Question

What is the importance of the microbiome project?

What advances to the field of microbiology can this project can be produced?

Answer 1

Q)

Human microbiome project was launched in 2007. First phase focused on identifying human microbial flora. Second phase is Integrative Human Microbiome Project launched in 2014. The target was to differentiate the microbiome and the function of microbes in health and disease. Important components were culture independent methods of microbial community characterisation as metagenomics and whole genome sequencing. HMP has the potential not only to identify new ways to determine health and predisposition to diseases but also the parameters to design, implement and monitor strategies for intentionally manipulating the human microbiota to optimize its performance in the context of an individual's physiology.

Q)

Advances to the field of microbiology are

Human microbiome project has the capacity to break down the artificial barriers between medical microbiology and environmental microbiology.

Development of new database systems showing efficient organisation, storage and access massive amount of data.

Development of tools for comparative analysis that fascilitate recognition of common patterns in data sets.

Assembly of a catalogue of sequenced reference genomes of pure bacterial strains from multiple body sites against which metagenomic resultscan be compared.

Establishment of data analysis and coordination center for microbiome.

New predictive factors for identifying active transcription factor binding sites.

Identification of widely distributed ribosomal produced electron carrier precursor.

Time lapse moving pictures of human microbiome.

Identification of unique adaptation taken by segmented filamentous bacteria in gut.

Identification of factors distinguishing microbiota of healthy and diseased gut.

Identifying factors determining virulence in gardenerella vaginalis in vaginosis.

Link identification between atherosclerosis and oral microbiota.

Demonstrating pathogenic species of neisseria involved in meningitis, sepsis and sexually transmitted diseases exchange virulence factors with commensal species.