Unlocking the mysteries of the microbiome

When it works as intended, the human gut is rarely given a thought – but that is rare luxury for the 130,000 Australians with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like Marisa (see next page).

That’s where Associate Professor Samuel Forster comes in.

“Our microbiome research is focused on understanding the naturally occurring bacteria we carry with us every day, and which play a critical role in keeping us healthy,” A/Prof Forster says.

“We know these hundreds of bacterial species interact with the immune systems and regulate processes such as inflammation. But we don’t yet know the ‘correct’ combination of bacteria for anyone at any particular time, or how to maintain it. “ he collaborates closely with Paediatric Gastroenterologist Dr Edward Giles from Monash Health, and the Adelaide-based biotechnology company BiomeBank to develop new therapies for IBD. With cutting-edge technologies, including the gut-on-a-chip – which allows individual bacterial species to be studied in the lab – A/Prof Forster also seeks to answer fundamental questions about the immunology of the gut and its microbiome.

“Despite their importance for our health, many microbial species are being lost due to changes in our lifestyles, diet and other factors they rely on to survive. We aim to collect these species, understand how they can be beneficial and ensure they are preserved for future generations of medicines.”

A/Prof Forster’s work saw him published in two prestigious Nature group journals in 2022 and he was one of two Australian scientists to be awarded a CSL Centenary Fellowship of $1.25 million over five years.

Using a combination of computational analysis and microbiology to identify bacterial strains that influence disease,

The potential benefits will be felt in IBD, as well as addressing the emerging threats from antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and many more areas of medical need.

“My team is working towards a future where we will have a comprehensive bank of purified microbiome derived bacterial isolates, the ability to accurately measure a person’s microbiome state, replace the missing species and maximise health for every individual.”

Collaborators Monash Health; Wellcome Sanger Institute (UK)

Funders ARC; NHMRC; Walter Cottman Endowment; Kenneth Rainin Foundation (USA)