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Colon or semicolon: gut sampling microdevices for omics insights.
Sunil Nagpal1,2, Sarvesh Kumar Srivastava3,4
1TCS Research, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Pune, India.
NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes
|October 2, 2024
Summary
Ingestible microdevices offer a new way to non-invasively sample the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This technology enables detailed analysis of the gut microbiome and biochemistry for personalized medicine.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Biotechnology
- Microbiome Research
Background:
- The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract harbors a complex ecosystem crucial for health.
- Current methods for studying the GI tract are often invasive.
- Understanding host-microbiota interactions is key to diagnosing and treating diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the advancements in ingestible microdevices for non-invasive GI sampling.
- To highlight the potential of these devices for personalized metabolism studies.
- To foster interdisciplinary collaboration for developing these technologies.
Main Methods:
- Development of ingestible microdevices for in-situ GI sampling.
- Utilizing microdevices for capturing spatiotemporal microbiome data.
- Employing multi-omic analyses on collected GI samples.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated non-invasive access to the native GI microbiome.
- Enabled capture of intricate biochemical gradients within the GI tract.
- Provided insights into unperturbed host-microbiota crosstalk and immune/nutritional landscapes.
Conclusions:
- Ingestible microdevices represent a significant breakthrough in GI tract analysis.
- These devices facilitate a deeper understanding of gut-organ connections and personalized metabolism.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for advancing this field.
