Dear Partners and Friends, 

OpenBiome was founded on a bold belief: that the human microbiome holds untapped power to transform health. In 2013, that belief met a critical need—patients battling recurrent Clostridioides difficile had few options and no safe, standardized access to fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). So, we stepped in to bridge the gap. 

We built the first public stool bank in the U.S., helping transform a fringe therapy into a recognized medical intervention. Over the next decade, we delivered more than 72,000 investigational FMT treatments to 1,300 hospitals and clinics, while helping to derisk and shape the foundation of this field. 

When the FDA ended Enforcement Discretion for stool banks, we were required to stop delivering these life-changing treatments. It was a heartbreaking shift—not just for our team, but for the patients and clinicians who depended on them. 

But our mission is far from over. 

Today, we are proud to share the next chapter of our journey: OpenBiome is becoming the OpenBiome Foundation. With this transition, we renew and refocus our commitment to accelerating microbiome science and ensuring its benefits reach those who need them most. 

As the OpenBiome Foundation, we will: 

• Support pioneering research through targeted grantmaking and global collaborations; 

• Build for the future by openly sharing our know-how and unparalleled biorepository to power the next generation of discoveries;

• Continue to champion access to FMT for C. diff patients left behind, starting with advocacy for sound health policy, and new models for hospital-based FMT programs.

Microbiome science is moving fast. Our job now is to make sure it moves toward innovation, access, and impact. 

We are deeply grateful for your partnership, past, and future. Together, we can ensure that the promise of the human microbiome becomes real for more patients, in more places, and for years to come. 

With deep appreciation and resolve,