CSIR NextGen Health launches the CSIR Microbiome Mapping Initiative – and you can help!

The CSIR’s NextGen Health cluster is piloting the CSIR Microbiome Mapping Initiative to set up the infrastructure necessary to establish a national microbiome profiling platform.

“This project will involve capturing a snapshot of gut microbial diversity to characterise the baseline profile in the average South African community as represented at the CSIR,” says CSIR project leader Dr Jerolen Naidoo.

The microbiome refers to all the genetic material of the community of 10 to 100 trillion microorganisms living inside your gut! This community is really important in several fundamental bodily processes and is influenced by diet, lifestyle, genetics and more that we aim to uncover with your help!

By providing a small stool sample , you will be giving us access to this vast community of microorganisms. We will link this gut community profile to the information you provide us through a questionnaire about your diet, demographics and lifestyle, and generate a report about the profile and potential links to these factors. Read more…