A new feasibility study supported by world-leading scientists finds that the creation of a “microbial Noah’s Ark” is feasible and should move forward into a pilot project phase. The feasibility study was prepared by two independent Swiss firms (EvalueScience and advocacy) and supported by non-profit institutions and universities active in the field of the human gut microbiome. The funding consortia includes the Swiss Gebert Rüf Foundation along with the Seerave Foundation, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal), Rutgers University (USA), Kiel University (Germany), Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (Canada), Bengt E. Gustafsson symposium foundation (affiliated to Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) and UC San Diego School of Medicine (USA). The study found that the Microbiota Vault initiative has great significance and potential, and that its leaders should establish a pilot project that would include infrastructure to store microbes in a site such as Switzerland or Norway or and a collaboration mechanism for collecting samples with a developing country.
Download the full feasibility study as of June 11th 2020 (12pm EST) from here.
The following press releases are available for download:
– USA (Rutgers University)
– Switzerland EN, FR, DE (Seerave Foundation and Gebert Rüf Foundation)
– Germany EN, DE (Kiel University)
– Portugal (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation)
A 1 minute video is available for screen and social media.