CosmosID and The BioCollective announced a new comprehensive microbiome analysis kit for in-depth, high-resolution identification and characterization of microorganisms found in the gut.
The term “microbiome” is used to describe the microscopic collection of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, most of which are beneficial – in the gut they help digest food, produce vitamins, and maintain homeostasis in the intestines. Other microbes, if present, however, may cause food poisoning, infection, or disease.
To characterize the microbiome fully and provide detailed, strain-level resolution, and, in addition, obtain information needed to identify beneficial or detrimental microorganisms, deep sequencing of an entire sample is required.
The new kit provides characterization of the gut microbiome, including presence of antibiotic resistance factors, based on next-generation shotgun sequencing, according to the companies.
Unlike kits that offer bacterial analysis based on the DNA sequence of only one or a few genes (i.e. 16S ribosomal RNA), giving a lower-resolution characterization of the microbiome, BioCollective/CosmosID say their version offers the complete makeup of an individual microbiome, including species/strain level identification of bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and also the characterization of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors.
The growing field of microbiome research includes studies investigating the role of the microbiome on diet, exercise, lifestyle, birth method, antibiotic usage, and even complex conditions like autism, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
An introductory offer includes sample collection, storage, DNA preparation, sequencing, and metagenomic analysis. Additionally, members of The BioCollective will receive a percentage of revenue from microbiome sample sales to scientists for further studies and analysis, according to the press release.
CosmosID is a genomic big data company focused on rapid identification of microorganisms for infectious disease diagnostics, public health surveillance, food safety inspections, pharmaceutical discovery, and microbiome analysis for health and wellness.
The BioCollective aims to generate a collaborative, market-based approach to the challenge of accelerating research and discovering therapeutic avenues to managing and treating chronic diseases, cancer, and obesity.