Want to help science? Send Your Poop To These Researchers – The HuffPost

Sebastian Kaulitzki via Getty Images The “Le French Gut” project has appealed for the French to send in samples of their faeces. Sebastian Kaulitzki via Getty Images The “Le French Gut” project has appealed for the French to send in samples of their faeces. SCIENCE – 66 million different intestines. To better understand the bacteria and microbes that nestle in our intestinal microbiota, the “Le French Gut” project launched an appeal, this Friday, September 16, for the French to send samples of their faecal matter. Led by the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Inrae), Paris hospitals and AgroParisTech, the study hopes to collect 100,000 faecal samples by 2027. The objective of this project is to map the intestinal microbiota of the French. The latter, often compared to a “second brain”, plays a preponderant role in immune, neurological or digestive functions, recalls Sciences et Avenir. A better understanding of how it works could help explain how certain pathologies such as diabetes, Crohn’s disease or cancer can arise. Participatory science But for that, scientists need the help of the French. A preliminary phase of their research consists of collecting 3,000 samples of faecal matter in 2022. Nothing could be simpler if you want to participate: go to the frenchgut.fr website and click on “Participate in the project”. All you have to do is create an account and answer a ten-minute questionnaire about your lifestyle and your eating habits. A few days of waiting and you will receive a kit to collect your stools directly from your home, accompanied by a user guide to find out how to send them by post. On the other hand, you cannot participate if you are a minor and/or carrier of certain diseases, in particular digestive ones. In addition, only residents of metropolitan France can make this donation. Better fight against chronic diseases “With the help of the French, a lot of scientific knowledge will be generated”, assures the Inrae on its site. This research will make it possible to define “preventive personalized nutrition” for certain pathologies and to “fight against chronic diseases”. “The science of the microbiota is really essential to open up new preventive and therapeutic avenues”, added the expert microbiota researcher Joël Doré, during a press conference. The “Le French Gut” project is part of a global study, the “Million Microbiome of Humans Project”. According to our colleagues from Liberation, China, Denmark, Sweden and Estonia have already taken part in this international database on the microbiota, the first results of which are expected in 2024. See also on The HuffPost: You cannot view this content because you have refused the cookies associated with content from third parties. If you want to view this content, you can change your choices.