IAFNS is collaborating with the U.S. National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) to develop a Human Whole Stool Reference Material, with the idea that an analytical standard in this field will improve methods and help us compare results. For IAFNS, this is critical if we are to understand how to enable dietary guidance to optimize gut health. Along those lines, IAFNS’ focus for the material is to include specific measured metabolites — because what the microbes produce seems to be most relevant to health. Metabolomics methods in the nutrition and gut health space are evolving, inching the research field closer to a metabolomic profile that reflects a ‘healthy gut microbiome.’
Read more about the IAFNS-NIST collaboration here.