Microbiome R&D needs terminology definitions to continue technology boom

29 Sep 2020 --- Microbiome technologies are exploding in a multi-million dollar market. However, scientific definitions established by the research community are needed to correctly communicate research findings before they can be commercialized – for instance, in the form of wearable technologies.

To meet this end, an EU-funded project called Microbiome Support has brought together a panel of experts from 28 international institutions to agree on a clearer definition of the microbiome and pursue new guidelines for investment in research.

While these developments take place, wearable tech innovation is already afoot. Texan researchers have designed a wristband device that monitors sweat for biomarkers that could signal flare-ups of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Scientific definitions consensus
The Microbiome Support panel agreed that the microbiome is defined as a “characteristic microbial community occupying a reasonable, well-defined habitat that has distinct physicochemical properties”.

The microbiome not only refers to the microorganisms involved but also encompasses their “theater of activity,” meaning the formation of specific ecological niches. 

Furthermore, microbiota consist of the assembly of microorganisms belonging to different kingdoms: 

• Prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea)
• Eukaryotes (protozoa, fungi and algae)

The theater of activity of these microbiota includes microbial structures, metabolites, mobile genetic elements (such as transposons, phages and viruses), and relic DNA embedded in the environmental conditions of the habitat.

New microbiome research promises to transform food production and treatment of diseases (Credit: Genomics for Climate Change Research Center, Brazil).Lacking established terminology hinders health and nutrition R&D and can cause wide-scale consumer confusion that hurts the industry’s economy and reputation. 

To avoid this, the Lactobacillus genus has undergone a taxonomic reclassification this year, while a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Citizen’s Petition called for more guidance on CBD-specific definitions. 

Reluctance to provide clarity on this definition has contributed to the “confusion among consumers and industry alike”, the Council of Responsible Nutrition commented at the time.

Collaborative strides for definitions have also been gathered for “live biotherapeutic products” “synbiotics” and “next-generation probiotics.”

Monitoring IBD from your wrist
While industry is working to establish a clear and concise definition for the microbiome, the tech industry is showing few signs of decelerating its innovation momentum. 

“The key driver in this technology development has been frugal  innovation. Affordable health care  is critical for the over 7.2 billion people around the globe and technologies needs to be developed that can rise to that challenge,” Shalini Prasad, professor of systems biology and department head of bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, tells NutritionInsight.

Her research team has designed a wristwatch-like device that detects and quantifies the presence of two key biomarkers in sweat associated with IBD: interleukin-1 beta and C-reactive protein (CRP). 

Measured from elevated biomarker levels, the early pre-symptomatic alarms that the sweat sensor sends out provide overall better IBD management for individuals. It can enable early flare-up assessment and improve patient care for healthcare providers.

“This first proof-of-feasibility is a first step toward demonstrating non-invasive technology that can enable baseline tracking of an inflammatory response. Furthermore, this is the first study to report and quantify the presence of CRP in human eccrine sweat,” the researchers state. 

Moreover, the technology that can be utilized for continuous monitoring of biomarkers is currently lacking. Most of these rely on samples such as blood, feces and testing methods of which continuous monitoring is not feasible, the study notes.

“Unlike standard clinical lab assays using blood or serum there are no validation technologies readily available to validate the sweat chemistry for inflammatory proteins. We had to design those  and benchmark against  established lab standards,” Prasad explains.

UT Dallas researchers designed a prototype of a wristwatch-like device that detects two key biomarkers associated with IBD (Credit: University of Texas at Dallas).With more than 1.2 million IBD-affected patients in the US, the researchers affirm that putting this kind of technology – and the control it provides – into the hands of consumers can help predict random disease flares and provide effective therapy means.

Research recommendations
To continue developments like these, the Microbiome Support panel identified eight crucial points as “crucial” for future microbiome studies. 

Investing in a “toolbox of technologies” should help reduce bias resulting from individual research technologies.

Combining several microbiome studies methods could allow deeper insights into microbial functioning and use various patterns of microbiome dynamics in different environments. 

Microbial interactions should be better considered in study designs, including a holistic approach to host-microbe interactions. Also, the panel encourages dividing microorganisms into beneficial, pathogenic and neutral categories, according to microbial interactions.

“Application of these clarifications and recommendations should assist researchers in designing their microbiome studies in a holistic way,” the researchers write.

“[This] will help to develop microbial models and predictions, which in turn will accelerate our ability to design applications in all areas of life.”

Advances in genetic sequencing and bioinformatics in recent decades have enabled scientists to grow gene testing panels and digitally transform the microbiome.

Ingestible gas-sensing capsule technology was found to monitor key gases produced within the gut in real-time. Meanwhile, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a tool for modeling the human gut microbiome externally for up to four days. 

Ultimately, wearable tech development strikes Prasad as a “golden opportunity” for health care providers and clinical researchers. 

By Anni Schleicher