Issue 2 Summer 2017

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MAGIC STUDY 267-223-9730 | magicstudy@email.chop.edu | magicstudy.research.chop.edu

Microbiome Fun Facts ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Your microbiome

has 100x more

genes than you do ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

There are 10 x more

microbial cells in a n d o n y o u r b o d y t h a n human cells —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

If you removed all of the microbial cel ls f rom the average adult ’s body, they would

weigh about 3 pounds-roughly the same weight as your brain! ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your participation in the MAGIC Study! The information you’ve suppl ied thus far is invaluable in furthering our understanding of the implications o f m i c ro b i a l d i v e r s i t y a n d development on pediatric health. The enthusiasm we’ve had from you in regard to our study has been nothing short of incredible. In the past few months, our oldest babies turned six months old and we’ve added two new study members to our team. Thank you so much for your continual support of the MAGIC study!

Dan Knights, PhD Jeff Gerber, MD, PhD

Co-Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigator

A. M o t h e r ' s o r a l m i c r o b i a l community

B. Mother ’s vaginal microbial community

C. Mother’s intestinal microbial community

Test your microbiome knowledge

The placental microbiome more closely resembles the _________ than

any other site in the body.

*Don’t forget to inform the MAGIC research assistants if your baby is prescribed an antibiotic*

Issue 2 Summer 2017

Where do my baby’s stool samples go? Each stool sample you take at home is shipped to the laboratory of Dr. Dan Knights at the U n i v e r s i t y o f Minnesota.

Here, a team of researchers enters the information you listed on the sample collection sheet into a database, and distributes the stool sample into multiple storage samples. These samples are kept at -80°C in order to preserve them.

In batches of around 100 samples, the researchers at the University of Minnesota isolate the microbial DNA from each sample. This DNA encodes all the genetic information about each microbe living in the stool, including which species it is and what it is capable of doing.

We then sequence the microbial DNA in your baby’s samples, using the same technology that we would use for sequencing a human genome. This allows us to measure a snapshot of the microbial profile in your baby’s gut at that point in time. We then compare the profiles of hundreds of babies to find out what effects antibiotics and other exposures have on an infant’s gut microbes. After several years we will test whether certain types of microbes are associated with increased weight gain later in life. This will help us to understand what causes childhood obesity.

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Meet Kendra

Kendra comes to t h e M A G I C S t u d y a f t e r earning her BA

in Public Health-Biology at Franklin

& Marshall College. She is one of the faces of follow-up. Prior to the MAGIC study, she worked in a clinic for Amish and M e n n o n i t e c h i l d re n . H e r favorite part of the MAGIC study is getting to see your babies grow and interacting with them at their study visits. In her free time, Kendra enjoys hiking, traveling, participating in long distance running and Spartan races, and playing with her dog, Sadie.

MAGIC By The Numbers

161 Enrolled participants

112 Study visits completed

719 Stool samples collected

MAGIC Enrollment Goal

For more information about the microbiome:

Knight, Rob, and Brendan Buhler. Follow Your Gut: the Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes. TED Books/Simon & Schuster, 2015. Test Your Knowledge: A

OK

GA

VA

NY

FL

NM

TX

KS

NE

SD

NDMT

WY

COUT

ID

AZ

NV

WA

CA

OR

KY

ME

PA

MI

MA

CT

WV

OHIN

IL

NCTN

SC

ALMS

AR

LA

MO

IA

MN

WI

NJ

VTNH

DC

Goal: 420

161!