Rather than simply focusing on which bacteria were present, the team examined biosynthetic gene clusters—or groups of genes—that instruct bacteria to produce certain molecules. These molecules help microbes compete with one another and influence which ones survive in the gut.
Dr. Fernando Guevara, a Research Associate in Translational Systems Biology at King's College London and first author of the study, said, "Analyzing gut bacteria based on what they produce could help to discover new medicines or better control infections."
They found that this group of genes falls into two distinct categories. One group was stable and consistently present over time, while the other only appeared sporadically.
When the researchers examined what happened during fecal transplantation, they found that the stable gene groups were far more likely to be present in patients long-term. On average, 76% of these stable genetic features present in donors were detected in patients after transplantation, compared with just 28% of the more transient ones.
Encouragingly, the stable gene groups were linked to traits that help good bacteria compete and survive, and less associated with genes linked to harmful behavior. This raises the possibility of using them as a source of future drugs inspired by bacteria already living in our bodies.
Previous research by King's suggests that the microbes most capable of long-term survival may also be much more helpful within the gut.
Dr. Shoaie added, "By identifying the genetic features that predict which donor microbes will successfully colonize the gut, we are one step closer to improving donor selection and designing therapies. This result can be a blueprint for live biotherapeutics (LBT), meaning rational design is possible and enabling more precise and scalable microbiome-based therapeutics."
