Our Story and Mission
OpenBiome is building a world where the full potential of the microbiome radically improves health for all.
Modern Medicine, Cutting-Edge Research
OpenBiome accelerates bold discoveries in microbiome science to improve health for all. We are an independent nonprofit that catalyzes cutting edge research, advances treatment, and expands scientific capacity to unlock the full potential of the microbiome.
How We Work
Catalyzing Research: Build and openly share the world’s most globally representative collection of samples and strains to fill critical gaps in microbiome science.
Advancing Treatment: Harness the healing power of gut microbes by providing clinicians with protocols and treatments to help people with recurrent C. difficile infections and other microbiome-mediated diseases.
Expanding Scientific Capacity: Build global scientific capacity and share microbiome therapy know-how with all researchers, especially those on the frontline of infectious disease treatment.
The Story of OpenBiome
The human gut is teeming with trillions of bacteria and microbes. Understanding this mysterious part of our body is key to unlocking the future of medicine.
At OpenBiome, we’ve seen the therapeutic power of bacteria firsthand. Here’s a look at our journey so far to advance microbiome science.
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A Life-Changing Fecal Transplant
January 1, 2011
A close friend of ours contracts a life-threatening C. difficile infection after a routine surgery. We watch him struggle through several rounds of failed antibiotic treatment for 18 months. After receiving a fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), his health rebounds within a few days.
Learn more about FMT -
OpenBiome is Founded
January 15, 2013
OpenBiome started as an initiative run out of an MIT-based laboratory. In 2013, we were officially founded as an independent nonprofit devoted to expanding access to FMT and catalyzing microbiome research.
Meet Our Team -
The First OpenBiome Treatment
November 14, 2013
OpenBiome ships its first FMT treatment to a hospital in Oakland, California. The patient—a 91-year-old woman who has experienced three recurrences of C. difficile—recovers from the infection.
See Our Imapct -
Reaching New Milestones
February 1, 2016
OpenBiome manufactures and ships its 10,000th FMT treatment.
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Expanding Our Mission Globally
March 1, 2017
OpenBiome launches the Global Health Microbiome Initiative. Our first study explores whether FMT can help treat severe acute malnutrition in children. It's the first FMT clinical trial on the African continent.
How We Work With Researchers -
Another Milestone Met
September 1, 2021
OpenBiome manufactures and ships its 60,000th FMT treatment.
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Welcoming the Global Microbiome Conservancy to OpenBiome
September 1, 2022
OpenBiome assumes leadership of the Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC), a nonprofit initiative founded at MIT, and welcomes it as a flagship program. As part of OpenBiome, the GMbC will scale up its mission of collaborating with a diverse network of scientists to build a globally representative microbiome library.
Learn About The GMbC
Our Next Step: Unlocking the Potential of the Microbiome
OpenBiome, through its flagship program the Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC), is providing scientists with tools and resources to make breakthrough discoveries.
Currently, microbiome research is limited by a biased and narrow view of the microbiome that focuses on U.S. and European populations.
The GMbC library—containing samples from more than 1,200 participants from over 30 underpresented communities—fills this critical gap by providing scientists with a globally representative view of the microbiome and ensures that people from across the world can benefit from new discoveries.
“Over the past decade, we’ve shown the transformative power of the microbiome in treating patients with recurrent C. difficile. We’re excited to take the next step and use our expertise to catalyze microbiome research around the world.”
— Julie Barrett O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer at OpenBiome
Help Grow Our Impact
We have a passion for improving public health through the bacteria in us all. Learn more about our impact and join us on our journey of scientific service and discovery.
