The Human Microbiome Project (HMP) today published an analysis of 178 genomes from microbes that live in or on the human body. The researchers discovered novel genes and proteins that serve functions in human health and disease, adding a new level of understanding to what is known about the complexity and diversity of these organisms.
The human microbiome consists of all the microorganisms that reside in or on the human body. Outnumbering cells in the human body by 10 to 1, some of the microorganisms cause illnesses, but many are necessary for good health. Currently, researchers can grow only some of the bacteria, fungi and viruses in a laboratory setting. However, new genomic techniques can identify minute amounts of microbial DNA in an individual and determine its identity by comparing the genetic signature to known sequences in the project’s data base. The paper is published in the May 21 issue of the journal Science.
“This initial work lays the foundation for this ambitious project and is critical for understanding the role that the microbiome plays in human health and disease,” said National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. “We are only at the very beginning of a fascinating voyage that will transform how we diagnose, treat and ultimately, prevent many health conditions.”
Launched in 2008 as part of the NIH Common Fund’s Roadmap for Medical Research, the HMP is a $157 million, five-year effort that will implement a series of increasingly complicated studies that reveal the interactive role of the microbiome in human health.
The 178 microbial genomes in this report launch the HMP reference collection that eventually will total approximately 900 microbial genomes of bacteria, viruses and fungi. These data will then be used by HMP researchers to characterize the microbial communities found in samples taken from healthy human volunteers and, later, those with specific illnesses. Samples are currently being collected for HMP from five areas of the body: the digestive tract, the mouth, the skin, the nose and the vagina.
“Although this is only the first step in making HMP medically useful, we already have learned surprising things about the diversity and complexity of the microorganisms that live in and on our body,” said Jane Peterson, Ph.D., associate director of the NHGRI Division of Extramural Researcher and a leader of the HMP effort. “The next stages of this coordinated study will begin to associate the presence or absence of specific micro-organisms with various states of health and illness.”
Researchers also conducted a preliminary survey to gain insights into the function of some of the newly identified genes and proteins unique to individual microbial strains. For instance, researchers found previously unknown proteins produced by bacteria that live in the stomach that may cause gastric ulceration, a hole in the stomach lining. In addition, they found a small number of newly identified novel proteins associated with how sugars and amino acids are metabolized.
Researchers also evaluated the microbial diversity present in the HMP reference collection. For example, they found 29,693 previously undiscovered, unique proteins in the reference collection