New Resource to Assist Scientists Explore How Intestinal Flora May Contribute to ASD
A microbiome-focused metabolomics repository has recently been established by scientists from Stanford University and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub in San Francisco. This new online library features information on nearly 200 microorganisms that inhabit the human gut and will help researchers characterize the outputs of gut microbiota in people with autism. It will also investigate how intestinal flora could contribute to the disorder. The scientists behind this effort view this new library as a powerful tool for studying the ways gut microbes produce compounds that may affect their host’s brain and behavior. In the past, researchers have faced challenges accurately measuring metabolites and matching them to the microbes that produced them. Due to this obstacle, the Stanford researchers decided to build this gut microbe-focused repository with hopes it will further additional efforts examining the role the gut plays in autism spectrum disorder.
