LONDON & CAMBRIDGE, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Origin Sciences Ltd, a medical technology company developing innovative diagnostics and devices for investigating GI diseases, has published new data showing the effectiveness of its OriCol™ sampling device in gut microbiome research and development.
The trial compared the microbiome profile of OriCol™ and stool samples taken at three different time points from healthy subjects. A single rectal swab sample was also obtained from each subject. The microbiome data, which was produced and analysed by Second Genome, Inc., showed that the range and trends in alpha diversity between subjects were mirrored in OriCol™ and stool samples, however the rectal swab samples showed lower diversity. Whole microbiome abundance profiles were significantly different between OriCol™ and stool samples when grouped by subject or sample type. Whilst specific families of bacteria belonging to the phyla Bacteriodetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were enriched in OriCol™ samples, other families of bacteria belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria as well as different families within the Bacteriodetes phyla were enriched in stool. Subject to subject comparisons demonstrated that the OriCol™ device is able to capture donor-to-donor differences found in stool samples, but the microbial community differs in the two sample types.
Scientific Director at Origin Sciences, Dr Jodie Booth commented, “This new data shows OriCol™ as a valuable tool in the exciting and dynamic area of microbiome research and development. The gut microbiome is becoming an increasingly important component of research into diagnosis and treatments of gastrointestinal diseases, but research using traditional sampling methods can be challenging. OriCol™ presents a novel methodology for reliably sampling the gut microbiome.”
Graham Griffiths, Commercial Director added: “The results of this study highlight how important OriCol™ will be in the development of new diagnostics and treatments based on the gut microbiome. This encouraging data provides an opportunity to provide a dedicated OriCol™ sampling and stabilisation kit, enabling researchers simple and convenient access to gut microbiome profiles. We aim to make OriCol™ the gold standard for effective gut microbiome sampling.”
OriCol™ is a CE-marked device that offers a simple, convenient and effective tool for sampling the rectal mucosa without the need for prior fasting or bowel preparation. Sampling can be performed by a trained healthcare professional in less than 5 minutes. The device incorporates a nitrile membrane, which after insertion into the rectum via a standard proctoscope, is inflated to make contact with the rectal mucosa. The membrane is then deflated and retracted into the device prior to removal from the patient. Upon retraction the material sampled from the rectal mucosa is retained on the inverted membrane. The device can either be stored frozen or a suitable buffer added to preserve the material for subsequent analysis.
OriCol™ was launched in July 2014, and since then has seen increased uptake both as a diagnostic and a research tool, globally.