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In a world first, scientists at Lawson Research Institute are leveraging imaging technology to see and track microbes and provide an unprecedented glimpse of the human microbiome.  

Within each of us is a world populated by a bustling metropolis of microorganisms – a tapestry of trillions in a delicate dance to balance health, well-being and vitality.  

Far outnumbering human cells, this dynamic ecosystem of busy bacteria, industrious fungi and elusive viruses is the body’s microbiome. This invisible hive of ceaseless activity is so intrinsic to human health, its explorers say it should perhaps be considered an organ in its own right.

Now, in a world first, Lawson Health Research scientists studying this microcosmic underworld are making the invisible visible – in real time.

The team of Jeremy Burton, PhD, Research Chair of Human Microbiome and Probiotics and Director of the Canadian Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotic Research at St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s), is using imaging technology to see and track microbes, providing a perspective never before achieved. 

“Typically, we track microbes by analyzing samples from patients after treatment to improve their gut health with probiotics or microbiota transplantation (FMT),” explains Burton, whose endowed research chair is funded through St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation. “While we can get detailed information through DNA sequencing techniques, this often takes many months and relies on collecting fecal samples and other samples that may not be easily obtained. It also doesn’t provide all the information we need, like exactly where the microbes have travelled and how long they live.”

'Fantastic insight'

Imaging the microbes allows the Lawson team “to see things in real-time and not worry about clinical samples,” he adds.

Donna Goldhawk, PhD, molecular imaging scientist with Lawson’s Imaging Research Program, explains that imaging is done by attaching a radioactive tracer to cells, such as bacteria, that can be ingested and visualized in the body with positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI).

Imagine it as a biological version of an AirTag that tracks specific microbes.

“Lawson's environment has been a catalyst for new ideas, collaborations and many Canadian firsts.” - Michael Kovacs, Program Lead, Lawson’s Imaging Research Program, and Lead, Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility

“It’s through this pipeline that we gain fantastic insight into how the microbiome supports human health,” she says.  

As an example, tracking microbes allows the scientists to see if they are close to or crossing over the gut cell wall.  

“This is critical information because the proximity of microbes to the cell wall will likely determine if the probiotic or FMT therapy is effective or not,” says Burton. “We can now potentially track microbes that we administer to people in real-time and, in the future, be able to tell how sick people are and if they have a dysfunctional microbiota. Eventually, this information will be linked to their other health information for a complete picture.”

Uniquely St. Joseph’s

He notes the work “could only happen here” at St. Joseph’s, with its leading-edge imaging, production of novel tracers (isotopes) within Lawson’s Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility, and with world-class collaborative expertise – all fueled by the generosity of donors.

Working with Burton and Goldhawk are Lawson scientists, Michael Kovacs, PhD, Frank Prato, PhD, Dr. Michael Silverman, Seema Nair Parvathy, PhD, and Neil Gelman, PhD.

“This exciting work illustrates how innovative technologies can emerge when diverse groups collaborate closely in a multi-disciplinary approach to research within a hospital setting,” says Michael Kovacs, Program Lead, Lawson’s Imaging Research Program, and Lead, Cyclotron & PET Radiochemistry Facility. “Lawson's environment has been a catalyst for new ideas, collaborations and many Canadian firsts.”

The potential impact cannot be over-stated, adds Burton.

“This is the pathway to revolutionizing the way we understand the microbiome in people,” he says. “We’ve spent so long trying to eradicate microbes and studying the ones that cause ill health. Only relatively recently have we begun to study the ones that cause good health. That’s a dramatic shift in approach and, while we’ve come a long way, we’re really only getting started.”