About Gut Microbiome Project
Summary and Originality of the Project
The gut microflora plays crucial role to determine the gut health. They help digest food,
absorb nutrients and even control our brain. Their role is so important that scientists are
now considering transplanting gut microflora from healthy people to the ones suffering from
colorectal cancer, Crohn’s diseases, and irritable bowel syndrome and so on. A major factor
that impacts the composition of the microflora is considered to the bowel habit and sanitary
practices. Western practices, such as using commode in the toilet is now widely considered as
a negative factor for a good bowel health. This is mostly because of the body posture that
comes with the sitting style on the commode seat. Squatting is considered better for bowel
movement than commode use. Interestingly in Bangladesh, in rural areas or isolated river islands
there are people have never used commode in their lifetime. They have always been squatting across
generations. This project aims to study the gut microflora in these people and see how it impacts
their gut heath. Data on occurrence of colorectal cancer, will be collected from these people and
their health records. Stool sample will be collected from selected subjects who fulfill the criteria.
Metagenomic analysis using next-generation sequencing will be performed on the gut microflora to understand
the composition. These data will be compared with samples collected from urban areas where commode use is common.
This study promises to reveal the composition of gut microbes based on toilet use habit and may help establish
link with the gut health.
Using metagenomic analysis to understand the impacts of our bowel
habits has never been studied before and it will be a novel approach to answer a long-standing
question related to our bowel habits using cutting-edge technology.
Objectives and merits of the study
The objectives of this study are –
- to understand how gut microflora differ among people who always use squat position or use commodes during their bowel movement.
- to understand whether people with different microflora based on their toilet habits suffer from the risk of bowel diseases and bowel cancer.
In Bangladesh more and more affluent people are embracing the western life styles, which includes the fitting of commodes in households. Before it becomes a commonplace across the country, we shall be able to create a guideline for them so that they can take decisions whether they will stay with better traditional style or move to the proven wrong way of using commodes.
Major activities
The study comprises of question-answer based data collection and laboratory experiments.
It will include subjects from rural areas, river islands and urban areas.
A questionnaire
will be primarily used to select subjects for the study. From the rural areas, people who have
never used commodes in their lifetime will be included in this study. From the cities, it will
be opposite. People who have predominantly used commodes in their lifetime will be included in
this study.
These two groups of samples will be matched for age, sex and diets as much as
possible. Their medical history about gut health will be collected. Stool samples will be collected
from selected subjects and microbes will be cultured in the laboratory to see the compositions.
Apart from this traditional culture method, DNA isolated from microbes in the stool will be
collected for next generation sequencing.
This study will use multivariate statistical
analysis to remove the effects of confounding factors such as food habit, professions, daily
practice etc. in gut health and gut microflora composition.
Expected outcomes and output of the proposed research
Among many factors, globally the practices in toilet habit has attracted the attention of
scientists, innovators and general public as well. This project will help to understand an
important factor- the impact of squatting on gut microbes and eventually on health. Additionally,
the population of the microflora will be correlated with any sign and risk factors and history of
colorectal cancers. The outcome will help us to shape the research on colon cancer. It will also
open scopes for collaboration with other parties, especially from developed countries. The link
between gut microbes and cancer is already established. If we can show that we have exclusive
subjects and samples to study the factors that influence the composition gut microbes, we shall
be able to establish collaboration with leading research groups from top institutions. This will
boost our research career scopes. We may also explore future collaborate with Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation to take the research outcomes to the world.
To conduct this current project, we shall collaborate with microbiologists, molecular biologists,
and genome sequencing centers and statisticians within Dhaka university and beyond.
Our Research Team
DR. Mustak Ibn Ayub
Principal Investigator
DR S M Mahbubur Rashid
Co-Investigator
Dr. Nur A Hasan
Collaborator
Md. Ridone Ahmed
Research Assistant
Dr. Shahriar Md Sadek
CollaboratorContact
Location:
5th Floor, Science Complex Building, University of Dhaka, Ramna, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
Email:
ridwan.nstu@gmail.com
Call:
+8801671613409