Discover how a revolutionary AI tool is turning everyday bacteria into powerful forensic evidence. This cutting-edge technology, developed by Lund University, can trace your last locations with astonishing precision—whether you’ve been to the beach, a bustling city, or a secluded forest. Could this be the future of crime-solving?
Researchers at Lund University have developed a new machine learning-based tool called microbiome geographic population structure (mGPS) that uses microbial relative sequence abundance data to predict the geographic origin of microbiome samples. This tool can be used to pinpoint the source location of samples down to the city level, and even specific transit stations in some cases. The study tested mGPS on microbiome samples from urban, soil, and marine environments, demonstrating its versatility and potential for applications in forensics, medicine, and epidemiology. Notably, mGPS can also be used to trace the global spread of antimicrobial resistance genes by identifying local versus nonlocal microorganisms, suggesting it could be a powerful tool for understanding and mitigating the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
REFERENCE:
Yali Zhang, Leo McCarthy, Emil Ruff, Eran Elhaik, Microbiome Geographic Population Structure (mGPS) Detects Fine-Scale Geography, Genome Biology and Evolution, Volume 16, Issue 11, November 2024, evae209, https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evae209
Content curated by: Dr. Cameron Jones, PhD
Public Health Expert, Fungal Biologist, and Science Communicator
CEO of Biological Health Services, a consultancy and lab specializing in indoor air quality.
Adjunct Faculty at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Australia.
Founder, BioMedix & House of Pot, Bangkok
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