The IGEMIS project: expanding the scope of the BiSC study with the analysis of contaminants in fecal samples

 

We are launching a new project that will allow us to expand BiSC’s research on exposure to chemical contaminants and their effects on child health.

The IGEMIS project (PI25/00751) will study the relationship between exposure to environmental contaminants, the molecular footprints that occur at the gastrointestinal level and their impact on neurodevelopment during childhood. To do this, fecal samples from participants will be analyzed, collected at 18 months of age, a key moment in development when children begin to explore their environment more thanks to mobility, the intake of solid foods and greater hand-to-mouth contact, factors that increase their exposure to environmental contaminants.

One of the great advantages of fecal samples is that they allow for non-invasive collection by the participant; while providing very useful information. Through state-of-the-art technology, a large number of molecules can be identified that will help to better understand both exposure to chemicals and the function of the microbiome at this stage of life.

Despite the fact that 18 months of age is a key period of development due to increased exposure to pollutants, the difficulty in obtaining samples during this period has been a brake on its study so far. Therefore, the results obtained in the IGEMIS project will bring us closer in a pioneering way to one of the least studied periods of development.

 

This news has been written by predoctoral student Sarai Garriga and researchers Emily Laveriano and Lea Maitre