In an attempt to better understand the microbes that make up our bodies and surrounding ecosystems, the White House announced the National Microbiome Initiative on Friday, which aims to connect scientists who study these microbes and stimulate research into this realm of science.
For years, leading scientists in the field have stressed the importance of national collaboration on microbes in order to better understand how they interact with each other and their environments.
"I'm excited," said Jack Gilbert, a researcher from the University of Chicago who pushed for the project. "It's a long time coming and much-needed endeavor. We need to understand the microbial engine of the earth."
Numerous products that take advantage of microbes for health benefits already exist, including those that aim to harness digestive bacteria. However, scientists are still not sure which of these bacteria are important for specific aspects of health and if manipulating them could increase their effectiveness.
"We don't really have a definition of what is healthy, and that's what we need," said Jo Handelsman of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "We'll want to fix dysfunctional microbiomes or protect microbiomes. We just don't have the tools to do that."
Other facets of the initiative will examine the interactions of microbes and diseases such as type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, the Valhalla Charitable Foundation will be investing $11.8 million into examining the effects of digestive microbes on the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis.
Although the U.S. government spends around $300 million a year on microbiome research, much of this funding goes into cataloguing the various microbes on that exist on the planet. However, the National Microbiome Initiative will add $121 million this year and the next in order to integrate research into the functioning of the microbes and potential tools to harness them for positive uses.
"This is a microbial planet," said Lita Proctor, who oversees microbiome research at the National Institutes of Health. "Everything that's driving all the ecosystems, including human beings, is driven by microbial processes, yet we've been fairly ignorant of their activities."
Thus far, dozens of universities, foundations and other organizations have committed to invest more than $400 million in partnership with the government in order to conduct additional microbiome research.
A video of the White House's announcement can be viewed below:
