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Press release.
11/04/2008
Sequencing the human intestinal flora: launching of the European project MetaHIT coordinated by INRA
Marion Guillou, President of INRA, launched the European project MetaHIT on April 11th 2008 at the INRA Research Centre of Jouy-en-Josas in the presence of Christian Desaintes of the General Directorate for Research of the European Commission. The ambitious goal of this project, coordinated by INRA, is to study the genome of all the bacteria constituting the human intestinal flora in order to characterise its functions and implications on health. This genome contains 100 times more genes than the human genome. MetaHIT opens numerous perspectives for applications in the field of nutrition and human health. It brings together 12 European research and industrial organisations as well as one Chinese research institute. The contribution granted to this project by Europe amounts to 11.4 million euros for 4 years as part of the 7th Framework Programme, for a total cost of approximately 20 million euros.
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Understanding the role of intestinal flora on health
Humans live in constant association with microbes, present on the surface and in cavities of the human body, most of which are hosted by our digestive tract. These microbial cells, mainly bacteria, are at least ten times more numerous in our body than our own cells. These bacteria have functions which are essential to our health: they synthesize vitamins, break down certain compounds which cannot be assimilated by our body, play an important role in our immune system, etc. However, it is estimated that 80% of these bacterial species are still unknown.
While sequencing the human genome has provided us with precious knowledge, it covers only 1% of the genes in an individual, since 99% are of microbial origin. The mapping of the genome of all the bacteria hosted by the body, or metagenome, will further this knowledge and open perspectives for applications in the field of health in terms of diagnosis and therapy and in the field of food and nutrition for understanding the links between food and health.
The objective of the European project MetaHIT (METAgenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract) is to characterise the genes and the bacterial functions of the intestinal flora and to study the effects of this genome in terms of food and health. To do so, it brings together 10 of the most competent European research organisations, a food company, a pharmaceutical company and a Chinese institute, specialist in genome analysis. The project will be financed by the European Commission for 4 years.
A technological challenge on an international scale
The evolution in high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatics makes it possible today to envisage mapping massively the DNA of the metagenome. But a project of this scale must be conducted on an international level to be able to bring together sufficient forces for sequencing and analysing.
The partners of the MetaHIT project will be able to use the resources and competence developed by their collegues and develop together specific computer techniques and tools. Certain partners, in particular hospitals, will make available biological material coming from patients suffering from diseases in which it is known that the intestinal flora plays an important role (obesity, chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases). By comparing the bacterial composition of their intestinal flora with healthy individuals, the researchers will characterise the profiles of these diseases at the metagenome level, opening the way for the development of diagnostic tools.
MetaHIT is the first project to receive large-scale European financing for research on human metagenomics and is itself part of a larger momentum bringing together partners from all over the world in an international consortium initiated by INRA in 2005 and whose aim is to characterise human microbial communities.
More information:
http://www.metahit.eu
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Written by :
INRA press service, phone: +33 (0)1 42 75 91 69
Contacts :
Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich,
Coordinator of the MetaHIT project
Microbial Genetics Unit - INRA Research Centre of Jouy-en-Josas
tel: 01 34 65 25 10
Dusko.Ehrlich@jouy.inra.fr
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