Health monitoring through population-level gut microbiome profiling

The human intestinal microbiota has in recent years come forward as a primary target for health monitoring and modulation. Multiple research teams are rushing forward studying microbiota shifts in major diseases to identify diagnostic markers and assess disease pathogenesis. However, a sobering fact remains that the natural variation and dynamics of the gut microbiome are greatly understudied. The Flemish Gut Flora Project (FGFP) is a large-scale gut microbiome analysis effort in which >5000 individuals will be studied over four years. In this project, we will study the interindividual/ geographical variation as well as the temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome and associated health parameters at previously unseen scale. We will map and quantify microbiota fluctuations, identify factors influencing gut ecosystem composition and functioning, and assess inter-individual differences in microbiota stability and resilience. This will lead to an improved understanding of confounding/disrupting factors in gut microbiome research, the definition of a healthy, stable microbiota, and diagnostic/prognostic health markers. This project positions itself at the forefront of ongoing colon microbiome research. It represents a necessary and urgent contribution to the assessment of gut microbiota variation and dynamics, and is indispensable for future development of microbiome-based tools for diagnostic health monitoring and preventive/therapeutic intervention.