By checking and identifying your gastrointestinal bacteria against a growing databank of other guts, MyMicrobes will connect people with similar digestive tracts. Although microbial activity is rarely the impetus for lasting friendships, this website could drastically change the work of many medical scientists.
Developed by a not-for-profit German company, MyMicrobes is now accepting fecal samples sent in via mail and for a small fee ($2,100, to be precise), the company will sequence your gastrointestinal bacteria. There are two bright ideas at the core of the new social network: bringing people with similar stomach complications together and gleaning research information from the bacteria genomes they sequence.
As someone who suffers chronically from ulcers, I'm somewhat open to the idea of discussing my personal bout with like-minded others. Unfortunately, $2,100 and a stored sample of stool is a high price to pay for that privilege.
Digestion-Focused Social Networks
MyMicrobes Connects Users Based on Gastrointestinal Bacteria
Trend Themes
1. Digestive Microbiome Analysis - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in analyzing and understanding the gastrointestinal bacteria.
2. Personalized Digestive Health - Potential for disruptive innovation in connecting people with similar stomach complications to share experiences and find support.
3. Citizen Science in Gut Research - Disruptive innovation opportunity in utilizing crowd-sourced data to advance medical research on gastrointestinal bacteria.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare and Wellness - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in developing personalized treatments and interventions based on individual gut microbiome analysis.
2. Social Networking - Potential for disruptive innovation in creating niche social networks focused on specific health conditions or interests, such as digestive health.
3. Biotechnology and Genetics - Disruptive innovation opportunity in utilizing genetic sequencing and analysis to better understand the role of gut bacteria in human health.