Scientists are doing deep frozen human poop in the Swiss “end” vault, which already contains more than 1,000 fecal samples, and researchers say they want to accumulate 10,000 samples by 2029.
This is because it contains billions of microorganisms that scientists want to save if future generations need bugs to resolve the medical crisis. Swiss storage facilities also have 200 fermented foods that contain a lot of “gut-friendly” microorganisms that help keep the population healthy, and the team plans to add environmental microorganisms to their collection.
The long-term aim is to have backup copies of the microorganisms living in humans, animals, plants and the environment so that future generations can conduct research, restore ecosystems and invent treatments if necessary.
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“Microbial loss is associated with an astonishing increase in chronic diseases such as allergicity, autoimmunity and metabolic disorders,” the researchers wrote in their commentary. “Loss of microbial diversity extends to environmental ecosystems, putting the risks of agricultural systems and environmental resilience at risk.”
Human activities are responsible for the destruction of microorganisms or microbial communities in humans, animals, and the environment, so all kinds of microorganisms must be maintained, the author argues. For example, traditional agriculture, the thawing of permafrost due to human-strapped climate change, and overuse of antibiotics are very eroding the microbiota that may need to be rescued in the future, the team writes.
Related: 8 Old “zombie viruses” drawn from thawing permafrost by scientists
“Human activity is depleting our microbiota and there is a lot of evidence of that,” said Dr. Martin Brother, director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers University in New Jersey and co-author of the new commentary.
Currently, there is no evidence that reintroduction of frozen microorganisms into the human intestines and ecosystems can restore it, but “I believe one day science will improve enough and we will have a really good recovery technique,” says Blaser.
The Swiss project was called Microbiota Vault and was launched in 2018. The researchers who founded it were inspired by the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a “end” seed sediment that currently holds around 1.3 million plant samples to preserve the declining genetic diversity in the real world.
Until now, microbiota safes have been in the “start” stage, and according to the commentary, they have tested the possibility of collecting and exporting feces and fermented foods from around the world. Swiss researchers have received a total of 1,204 fecal samples, 190 fecal samples and 190 food samples over the past seven years. These samples are currently stored at 112 degrees Fahrenheit (-80 degrees Fahrenheit).
The initiative is currently in the “growth” stage, and researchers hope to acquire thousands of additional samples, including microorganisms from threatened ecosystems. Also, plans are underway to find permanent safe locations in countries with ideal cold weather, such as Switzerland and Canada.
“Maybe 100 years from now, saving these microorganisms will prevent major disasters,” Blaser said in a statement.
“It is our duty to future generations to maintain this microbial diversity,” the team added in the article.
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