Tablet Researcher
A group of scientists from Tufts University has developed special tablets that study the microbiome of the intestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract). Tablets with microfluidic channels are made on a 3D printer. With the help of these channels, microbiota samples can be taken in various areas of the digestive tract. A semipermeable membrane divides the tablet into two chambers: one contains spiral channels that take samples of bacteria, and the other contains calcium salts.
The salt chamber is needed to maintain osmotic flow, with the help of which bacteria penetrate through the membrane into the channels, and a small magnet in the pill allows it to be held in certain places of the intestine with a magnet outside the body for better sampling. The fluorescent dye in the osmotic chamber helps to find the tablet after it leaves the gastrointestinal tract. The tablet has a coating sensitive to changes in the acid-base balance in order to be activated in the small intestine, bypassing the stomach.
This non-invasive diagnostic tool is actively tested both in vitro and in vivo in order to identify the species diversity of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract as accurately as possible. It has been tested on pigs and monkeys, but clinical trials will be required to determine the safety of daily human use of the device.
Today, there are technologies for analyzing bacterial populations using DNA sequencing. Microbiome sampling is associated with the analysis of feces for DNA and metabolites, but this approach gives little information about the location of each of the 1000 species of bacteria inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract. The vast majority of these bacteria have a positive effect on digestion and protect against diseases. If the natural balance of the microbiome is disturbed, some bacteria can cause inflammation, high susceptibility to infections and even exacerbations of other diseases, such as cancer.
The developed tablets will contribute to an improved understanding of the role of the spatial distribution of the microbiome for the promotion of new treatments for a number of diseases.
The article Nejad et. al Ingestible Osmotic Pill for In‐vivo Sampling of Gut Microbiome is published in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems.
Elena Panasyuk, portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Tufts Now: 3D printed pill samples gut microbiome to aid diagnosis and treatment.