Jouy-en-Josas, France, 6 February 2024 – MGI, a company dedicated to developing core tools and technologies to lead life science innovation, today announced a collaboration agreement with MetaGenoPolis, a unit of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE). The agreement follows MetaGenoPolis’ selection as a core laboratory under the Million Microbiomes from Humans Project (MMHP).
Under the agreement, MetaGenoPolis will be equipped with MGI’s ultra-high-throughput DNBSEQ-T7 sequencer and will serve as a key platform for processing samples from Le microbiote français – Le French Gut project, as well as supporting other researchers within the MMHP framework.
“We are excited about the opportunity to further advance metagenomics research,” said Dr Yong Hou, General Manager of MGI Europe and Africa. “By equipping MetaGenoPolis with our accurate and reliable high-throughput sequencing pipeline, we aim to support their work on the French Gut project and contribute to the broader goals of MMHP.”
The collaboration underscores the shared commitment of MGI and MetaGenoPolis to driving innovation in metagenomic research within both MMHP and the French Gut project. By leveraging advanced technologies in microbiology and metagenomics, the partners will work together to co-develop new applications and strengthen scientific collaboration across the consortium. As a core laboratory within MMHP, MetaGenoPolis will further enhance its research capabilities through MGI’s state-of-the-art technologies, while contributing to the development of international standards in metagenomics sequencing across diverse sample types.
“We are delighted to partner with MGI to advance our research objectives within MMHP and Le microbiote français – Le French Gut,” said Alexandre Cavezza, Executive Director of MetaGenoPolis. “This collaboration will strengthen our technical capabilities and reinforce our commitment to advancing scientific research in this field.”
“The inclusion of MetaGenoPolis as a core laboratory within the MMHP framework marks a significant milestone in our efforts to advance metagenomics research,” added Professor Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich, Co-Chair of the MMHP Consortium. “Their partnership with MGI will provide essential infrastructure and expertise to support sample processing and generate high-quality data for the project.”
Launched in 2019, the Million Microbiomes from Humans Project (MMHP) is a global initiative to sequence and analyse one million microbial samples from the intestine, mouth, skin, reproductive tract, and other organs. The goal is to create a comprehensive microbiome map of the human body and build the world’s largest human microbiome database.
As part of this global effort, Le microbiote français – Le French Gut project was launched in 2022 to better characterise the gut microbiota of healthy populations and its alterations in chronic disease. The project aims to collect 100,000 stool samples, together with associated nutritional and clinical data, by 2027.
About MetaGenoPolis (MGP)
MetaGenoPolis (MGP) is an INRAE research unit specialising in gut microbiota studies applied to human and animal health and nutrition, with the aim of accelerating scientific discovery and innovation. Funded through France’s Investing for the Future programme (award years 2012 and 2019), MGP has coordinated two landmark initiatives that have significantly advanced microbiome science: the MetaHIT project and the International Human Microbiome Standards (IHMS) project.
The MetaHIT project produced the first comprehensive catalogue of human intestinal microbial genes, while the IHMS project established international standards for microbial DNA analysis. MGP’s scientific excellence in gut microbiota research and its implications for health and nutrition has been widely recognised by the international scientific community since 2010. More information: https://mgps.eu/
About INRAE
INRAE (the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment) is a leading research and innovation organisation, established on 1 January 2020 through the merger of INRA and IRSTEA. INRAE brings together a community of 12,000 staff, spanning 273 research, service, and experimental units across 18 centres in France.
The institute ranks among the world’s leading research organisations in agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, and ecology and environmental research. It is internationally recognised as a global leader in the agriculture–food–environment domain.
INRAE’s ambition is to play a central role in addressing major global challenges, including population growth, climate change, resource scarcity, and biodiversity loss. Through its research, the institute develops solutions for sustainable agriculture, high-quality food systems, and responsible management of natural resources and ecosystems. More information: https://www.inrae.fr/
