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. 

What motivated you to study the microbiome in rural Paraguay? 

Only recently were we able to decipher the Paraguayan gut microbiome — and that research was limited to urban populations in the Asunción metro area. Until then, no other work had been done with a Paraguayan population, meaning Paraguay was vastly underrepresented in microbiome studies. Since microbiomes can vary significantly across populations, the next logical step in my goal to put Paraguay on the microbiome map was to begin studying rural communities. 

The FDA’s approval of the first fecal microbiota treatment was a watershed moment — and also a wakeup call.

Stool banking depends on a pool of committed and healthy stool donors. Building a sustainable donor pool can be difficult as less than 3% of prospective donors may pass health screenings, necessitating a large recruitment effort. This paper reviews several considerations for recruiting stool donors including guidance on advertising, designing incentives, and maintaining clear communication with prospective and active donors.