A new method uses artificial intelligence to map gut bacteria using feces

The gut and its bacteria are sometimes called the “second brain,” but it is difficult to study these bacteria in the natural environment. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have now developed a method for mapping gut flora using feces using artificial intelligence.

Therefore, researchers want to gain more knowledge about the role these bacteria play in a variety of diseases.

Scientists both past and present suspect that the gut may play a role in a variety of diseases. Current studies focus on the role of the gut flora in physical illnesses such as diabetes and overweight, while other studies include gut flora and autism, schizophrenia, depression, etc. Trying to establish a relationship with.

But even modern scientists find it difficult to study about 500-1000 different species. 100 billion active bacteria in our intestines.

That’s why researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed breakthrough techniques to help unravel the mystery of human gut flora.

Apart from cooperating with the immune system in significant cooperation, an imbalance in gut flora composition is the cause of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that 50.000 Danes suffer.

“In recent years, we have discovered that bacteria have a significant impact on the body. Much research has been done in this area, but we have not yet identified all the bacteria found in the human body and in the body. What happens? Bacterial knowledge is essential to understanding what we are doing, and that’s where our technology can make a difference, “says a new study with a team of researchers at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research. Says Associate Professor Simon Rasmussen, who is in charge of. The result is Nature biotechnology..

The presence of bacteria is essential to the immune system, especially for intestinal bacteria. The problem, however, is that it is very difficult to study gut bacteria in the natural environment, which is often deeply dependent on gut bacteria to survive. Today, we are using artificial intelligence to develop ways to help identify bacteria in and above the human body. This will give you an idea of ​​how they work together and what happens when you get sick. “

Simon Rasmussen, Associate professor, Copenhagen’s niversity

Feces are the key to understanding

Instead of studying bacteria in the gut, researchers analyzed the final by-product of the gut, faeces.

Feces contain bacterial debris that helped metabolize food in the stomach and intestines, providing unique insights into an environment that is otherwise inaccessible.

Previous techniques have allowed researchers to read only fragments of bacterial DNA. This is the same as solving a puzzle with just a few pieces.

That’s why Simon Rasmussen and his team have developed an algorithm that uses artificial intelligence to complete the DNA strings of bacteria in faeces. And now we can help researchers around the world complete the puzzle.

“One gram of feces contains about one billion bacteria of 500 to 1000 types. If we can reconstruct their DNA, the types of bacteria we are dealing with, what they can do, and You can see what they are actually doing. It’s not the big picture, but it’s a big step forward. And our algorithms are available to other researchers and free to use, “he said. Says.

Identify patterns of different types of data

However, the method is not limited to gut flora, explains Simon Rasmussen. The ability of artificial intelligence to analyze the bacterial content of very small samples can also be used to study substances other than feces.

For example, if you want to know how contaminated soil affected microorganisms, you can use a new method to analyze soil samples in the area in question. The same is true for lakes and waterways near factories. Or, as Simon Rasmussen points out, it is now possible to identify bacteria, if any.

‘But the algorithm can only be used to study bacteria. For example, it can be used to analyze health data. Let’s say you are working to increase your knowledge of a particular illness. To do this, you can collect large amounts of information about a group of patients, including genetics, protein composition, substances in the blood, and data from electronic records. Our artificial intelligence can analyze these very different datasets to identify patterns and connections. It has great potential, “explains Simon Rasmussen.

Apart from the article on algorithms, the team is doing some other research demonstrating the use of technology in the pipeline.