Rebalancing Global Microbiome Inequalities

Inspiration The motivation for this project grew from recognizing a major gap in global health research. While much of the world’s microbiome research comes from North America and Europe, East and Southeast Asia remain significantly underrepresented—even though these regions make up over 30% of the global population. Yet, the gut microbiome is shaped by local diets, genetics, and environments, meaning that Western-derived probiotics may not work as effectively for Asian populations and could even widen health inequalities. We wanted to address this imbalance by focusing on the development of probiotics specifically adapted to Asian metabolic health, aiming to bring attention to a neglected but crucial issue.

What it does Our project develops a new kind of probiotic—beneficial bacteria that support health—specifically designed for people in East and Southeast Asia. We focused on two unique bacteria, called Akkermansia muciniphila (Z62) and Akkermansia massiliensis (IR119), which we collected from healthy individuals in Asia. These bacteria were carefully selected because they can survive the harsh environment of the stomach, stick well to the gut lining, and produce natural substances that help regulate metabolism and reduce inflammation.

In our lab tests, one of the bacteria, IR119, showed an impressive ability to lower fat buildup in cells and decrease signs of inflammation, which are both linked to conditions like obesity and diabetes. The other strain, Z62, showed excellent survival and sticking ability, meaning it could play an important role in keeping the gut healthy.

Overall, this project aims to create probiotics that are tailored to the needs of Asian populations, instead of relying on products developed mainly for Western countries. By offering probiotics that match local diets, environments, and health challenges, we hope to help reduce health inequalities and improve metabolic health for millions of people.

How we built it We approached the project through several phases. First, we isolated the strains and extracted their DNA and RNA. We then used PCR techniques with species-specific primers to validate the strains. To assess their potential as probiotics, we carried out phenotypic tests, including acid and bile resistance, as well as functional tests like adhesion to Caco-2 intestinal cells and measurement of short-chain fatty acid production. For data analysis, we used Python and R, which allowed us to handle large datasets and carry out statistical comparisons. Finally, I used Google Slides to design clear and compelling visual presentations to communicate our findings and future directions.

Challenges we ran into One of the major challenges was gaining access to a diverse set of microbiome samples across different regions of East Asia, as there were both logistical and regulatory barriers. Another challenge came from the lack of existing genomic data for Akkermansia massiliensis, which required us to do additional work to annotate and analyze the sequences. We also had to think carefully about how to scale our lab findings into practical, accessible products without losing the scientific quality or making them too expensive for broad use.

Accomplishments that we're proud of We are proud of successfully isolating and characterizing two promising probiotic strains that show clear potential for improving metabolic health. Demonstrating their superior acid and bile tolerance, as well as their anti-inflammatory properties, was a major achievement that sets the groundwork for future therapeutic development. We are also proud to have developed a framework—“Local Microbiomes, Global Solutions”—that can be applied to other underrepresented regions, such as Africa, Latin America, and Indigenous communities, helping to advance global health equity.

What we learned This project deepened our understanding of how critical it is to account for local variation in microbiome research. We learned that scientific progress is not just about discovering new solutions but about ensuring that these solutions are accessible and relevant to the communities that need them most. We also realized the importance of thinking beyond the laboratory, considering the cultural, economic, and social factors that will shape how innovations are developed and adopted.

What's next for Rebalancing Global Microbiome Inequalities Looking ahead, we plan to expand our sampling efforts across more East and Southeast Asian countries to capture greater microbiome diversity. We also aim to partner with biotech companies to begin pilot production of these probiotic supplements, making them affordable and widely available. Beyond product development, we hope to launch public education campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of regional microbiomes. Finally, we are interested in building partnerships with governments and health organizations to ensure that our innovations reach the people and places that need them most.

Technologies used Molecular biology techniques included 16S rRNA sequencing and whole genome sequencing (WGS) using the Oxford Nanopore MinION device, which provided deep insights into the genetic profiles of Akkermansia muciniphila (Z62) and Akkermansia massiliensis (IR119). We used Presto gDNA Bacteria Advanced Kits, PCR machines, and Qubit fluorometers to prepare, amplify, and quantify DNA, ensuring precise identification of the strains.

In the lab, we applied acid and bile salt tolerance assays, Caco-2 cell adhesion tests, and Oil Red O lipid staining protocols to characterize bacterial resilience and metabolic effects. For metabolomic analysis, we used UHPLC-ESI-TOF mass spectrometry combined with MetaboAnalyst 5.0 software for partial least squares discriminant analysis and biomarker discovery.

On the computational side, we relied on NCBI BLAST for sequence identification, RAST annotation tools for genome feature analysis, and Python and R for statistical evaluation of experimental results.

Built With

• blast
• europeannucleotidearchive
• ncbigenbank
• semmicroscope