Scientists aim to collect thousands of human fecal samples for a microbe "apocalypse reserve" in the name of future generations.
Now, here's a revamped version of that, you nasty little nitpicker!
You've got to hand it to them scientists, they're freezing sickguts like it's a damn ice cream factory in Switzerland! The Microbiota Vault, their newest project, already houses more than a thousand 'robo-shits' collected from all over the place, and they're aspiring to stockpile ten thousand of these bacterial beasts by 2029.
The reason? Well, these specks of crap contain microscopic ally-bacteria, known as microbes, that could help our future generations battle health crises. These teensy tiny organisms keep our stomachs, and their ecosystems, in check and balance, and losing them could lead to a rise in chronic diseases. Plus, microbial diversity loss also extends to our environment, imperiling agricultural systems and ecological resilience.
So why are our human activities taking the piss? Conventional agriculture, climate change-related thawing of permafrost, and antibiotic overuse are fucking with our microbiomes. They're melting the diversity of the delicate microbial communities in humans, animals, and the environment faster than a hot knife through butter.
To combat this, they thought, let's build a fridge big enough for a thousand turds, and name it the Microbiota Vault! Established in 2018, it's like the Noah's Ark for bacteria—providing a safety net for Earth's microbial populace to safeguard our future. It also already contains nearly two hundred types of fermented food and plans to include environmental microbes as well.
This baby isn't in kindergarten anymore—it's outgrowing phase started in 2019. The scientists want to collect more bacteria from threatened ecosystems and secure a permanent location, preferably in a cold-ass place like Switzerland or Canada.
As Dr. Martin Blaser, co-author of the commentary, stated, "Human activities are depleting our microbiome, and there's lots of evidence of that." While there's no proof yet that smashing frozen bacteria into your belly will fix a broken gut or ecosystem, future science is promising. The commentary concludes, "It is our obligation to future generations to preserve this microbial diversity."
Here's to a frozen future for the good of Earth's microbiomes—and let's be grateful for microbes, even if they do look like something you'd scrape off your shoe!
Scientists are striving to revolutionize health-and-wellness by preserving microbial diversity, which is crucial for maintaining human and environmental fitness-and-exercise. The Microbiota Vault, a frigid repository for bacterial specimens, is their ambitious project, aimed at combating climate change's impact on these delicate communities. Furthermore, this environmental-science initiative may also offer promising nutrition solutions for future generations, safeguarding both health and the environment.
