A group of researchers is developing a project to store numerous samples of feces and other biological materials (such as fermented cheese) in a vault located in Switzerland.

The initiative titled “Microbiota Vault” aims to preserve the biodiversity of microbes (microscopic organisms, such as bacteria) that mainly exist in the human intestine. Researchers are now in the launch phase of the program, which started in 2021. Afterwards, they will move on to the last stage, which is to create similar research databases and vaults in other countries.

Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, a scientist and the president of the project, stated in an interview with BBC News that a person’s digestive system may contain over 100 trillion bacteria and other microorganisms. However, intestinal biodiversity has declined in recent decades and some species of microbes are at risk of becoming extinct.

Although there is no definitive explanation for the gradual disappearance of these microorganisms, researchers from the “Microbiota Vault” point out that the development of antibiotics and other advances in the field of health may have been contributors. “To top it off, we are destroying ecosystems. And the fundamental unit of any environment is the bacteria. So, the extinction that is happening to our intestinal microbiota occurs in the soil, in the water and in the entire natural environment”, said Dominguez-Bello to BBC.

The construction of the vault will not only preserve these species, but will also serve as a study center for researchers who could develop new medicinal solutions using these bacteria in the future. “For me, the vault represents hope for the future of humanity’s health and of the planet itself”, concludes the scientist.

Seeds

The idea of creating a stool bank was inspired by a similar project that holds more than 1.1 million types of seeds from around the world. It is located in Svalbard, Norway, and its goal is to be a safe place to ensure a seed reserve if there is a need for food in the future with the disappearance of plants, for example.

Sources: The Microbiota Vault and BBC

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