Urbanisation and the adoption of industrialised lifestyles have been associated with reduced gut microbiome composition and diversity. Yet, their impact on critical microbial functions, particularly those involved in cholesterol metabolism, is underexplored. These are especially relevant because elevated circulating cholesterol levels are a key driver in the development and progression of cardiometabolic diseases.

Approach

The ChoReM project leverages rich multi-omics data from the Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC) and other published datasets to investigate how and which gut microbes convert cholesterol into other sterols, such as coprostanol.