Million Microbiome of Humans Project Launched to Map the Human Microbiome
The Million Microbiome of Humans Project (MMHP) was officially launched during the 14th International Conference on Genomics (ICG-14) in Shenzhen, bringing together leading scientists from across Europe and Asia to advance large-scale microbiome research.
Researchers from China, Sweden, Denmark, France, Latvia and other countries will collaborate to sequence and analyse one million microbial samples collected from the human intestine, mouth, skin, reproductive tract and other organs over the next three to five years. The project aims to create a comprehensive microbiome map of the human body and establish the world’s largest human microbiome database.
International Collaboration in Microbiome Research
The MMHP is one of the largest international research programmes focused on human microecology. The initiative was jointly launched by several leading research institutions, including:
- Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, China
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Technical University of Denmark
- MetaGenoPolis at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), France
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre
The project relies on MGI’s DNBSEQ microbial genome sequencing technology to analyse microbial communities across different populations and health conditions. By establishing a large-scale baseline for microbiome research, scientists aim to accelerate advances in translational medicine and personalised healthcare.
Leading scientists gathered in Shenzhen on 26 October to launch the initiative, including Professor Lars Engstrand, director of the Centre for Translational Microbiome Research (CTMR) at Karolinska Institutet, and Dr Liu Ruixin from the Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases. Representatives from MGI also attended, including Duncan Yu, President of MGI, and Hou Yong, head of MGI Europe and Africa.
The programme will also involve internationally recognised scientists including Professor Mathias Uhlén, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, and Ning Guang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Director of the Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases.
Dr Liu explained that analysing microbiome changes between healthy and disease states could support future therapeutic advances.
“By studying the differences in the human microbiome before and after treatment, and between normal and pathological states, large metagenomic datasets may provide new opportunities for therapies in metabolic diseases, cancer, reproductive health and neonatal health.”
Professor Engstrand, one of the project’s principal investigators, added that the initiative aims to produce a million-sample microbiome map, providing a strong data foundation for future microecological research.
Addressing Gaps in Global Microbiome Data
Although microbiome research has expanded rapidly in recent years, scientists still lack a large-scale, standardised and openly accessible microbiome database. This limitation has restricted collaboration and slowed progress in the field.
Through international cooperation, the MMHP aims to establish the world’s largest human microbiome database, supporting both fundamental research and industrial applications while strengthening global scientific exchange.
High-Throughput Sequencing Support from MGI
Using MGI’s sequencing platforms, international partners have already completed metagenomic sequencing for the first 10,000 samples.
These early datasets were generated through collaboration between the Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Karolinska Institutet and MetaGenoPolis in France. The results have been positively received by researchers worldwide and provide a strong foundation for scaling the project to 100,000 and ultimately one million samples.
All project data will be managed in accordance with international data security regulations.
The project builds on earlier collaboration between the Centre for Translational Microbiome Research (CTMR) at Karolinska Institutet, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and MGI. Through this partnership, MGI’s high-throughput sequencing platform was introduced to support microbiome research at the institute.
Professor Engstrand noted that the platform enabled his team to transition from 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to shotgun metagenomic sequencing, providing deeper insights into microbial communities.
“After comparing DNBSEQ technology with other sequencing platforms, the data quality led us to choose MGI’s platform for our research.”
Advancing the Field of Microecology
The rapid development of genomics technologies has made microbial research one of the most dynamic areas in life science.
In 2008, the European Union launched the Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract Consortium (MetaHIT), a landmark international collaboration that produced influential studies published in journals such as Nature. MGI was the only non-EU institution involved in that programme, contributing sequencing platforms and technical expertise.
The Million Microbiome of Humans Project expands on this work by studying microbial communities across multiple body sites rather than focusing solely on the intestine, while dramatically increasing the scale of analysis to one million samples.
Researchers believe the initiative will become another major milestone in international microbiome research.
The Million Microbiome of Humans Project welcomes further exchange and cooperation by relevant organizations to jointly promote research and application in the field of microbiome and can be contacted at MMHP@genomics.cn
