Stool donation

The human body is home to trillions of microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria and viruses), collectively known as the human microbiome. These microorganisms exist on all environmentally exposed sites in the body (particularly in the gut), and they play a huge role in keeping us healthy, helping with digestion, supporting immunity, and even likely influencing our mood.

By understanding how specific microbes affect our health, researchers hope to develop targeted treatments for a range of diseases. WRI has partnered with a German biotech company dedicated to creating therapies based on the microbiome. Using advanced technology and research methods, they are studying how these microorganisms interact with our bodies, with the aim of creating “cocktails” of beneficial microbes to treat various severe and chronic diseases.

For this project, we would like to collect stool samples from donors to identify and isolate different types of bacteria that might have therapeutic benefits. These bacterial isolates could go on to be incorporated into commercial products to treat disease.

 

What is involved?

If you would like to donate your stool, you would be asked to*:

1. Complete a social and medical history questionnaire. This will take approximately 20 minutes to complete and contains a range of questions about your health and lifestyle.
2. Collect a stool specimen using a provided collection kit.

* You will be reimbursed for the time taken to complete these tasks and travel costs.

This project is now closed for recruitment.