Microbiome

Interest in the Issa chimpanzee microbiome began in 2014, and has expanded since. We are currently looking into multiple questions answered by the microbiome with Frank Moller Aarestrup and Saria Otani at the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark. Their “Genomic Epidemiology (GenEpi) group at DTU FOOD, focuses on microbiome (specifically the bacterial communities) and its Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) structure and composition. GenEpi works with various microbiomes from animals and humans for pathogen and AMR detection with the Danish food authorities, and for research on microbiome adaptations to environment and zoonotic disease emergence. GenEpi is also a reference laboratory for EU and WHO on AMR, and has one of the largest collections of wastewater samples for global surveillance of pathogens and AMR using metagenomics sequencing.”

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In early 2023, Frank and Saria received the first batch of >600 chimpanzee faeces samples for analyses on their microbiota to begin soon!