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New ingestible, 3D printed pill can analyse gut microbiome.

More on news:

• Researchers have developed an ingestible 3D printed pill, which can non-invasively assess gut bacteria throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
• This biocompatible pill is manufactured in a 3D printer with microfluidic channels.
• It can easily sample different stages of the GI tract, which was till now impossible to track non-invasively.
• Current method is based on the use of DNA sequencing techniques to analyse bacteria found in the gut known as the microbiome (The gut microbiome is comprised of the collective genome of microbes inhabiting the gut including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi).

Highlights of a research

• The pill has been primarily tested in pigs and on primates, which showed that it can accurately conduct in vivo sampling of the gut lumen and its microbiome that is upstream of the colon.
• It can also aid in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affected by the microbiome.

Significance

• The pill will improve our understanding of the role of spatial distribution in the microbiome profile to advance treatments and therapies for a number of diseases and conditions.

Profile of the pill

• The pill has a pH sensitive coating, which dissolves once it enters the small intestine (bypassing the stomach).
• It consists of two chambers that are separated by a semi-permeable membrane.
• One chamber contains helical channels, while the other is filled with calcium and salt. The salt chamber creates an osmotic flow across the membrane, which then pulls the bacteria into the helical channels.
• The pill also carries a small magnet. Using a magnet outside the body, the researchers can also get a spatial diversity of the gut micro biome.
• The design of this device makes it incredibly easy to use, posing little risk to the subject being measured, yet providing so much information.
• Compared to other non-invasive diagnostic devices, this is like having an EKG (electrocardiogram) for gut health.

Question

3D printed pill was seen in news recently. Which of the following statements about it is correct?

1. It is an antibiotic developed to target Multidrug Resistant Bacteria.
2. It is a newly developed vaccine to prevent zika virus disease.
3. It is developed to assess gut bacteria throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
4. It is a newly developed contraceptive pill.

Correct Answer: (c)

Explanation:

Researchers have developed an ingestible 3D printed pill, which can non-invasively assess gut bacteria throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

• This biocompatible pill is manufactured in a 3D printer with microfluidic channels.
• It can easily sample different stages of the GI tract, which was till now impossible to track non-invasively.
• Current method is based on the use of DNA sequencing techniques to analyse bacteria found in the gut known as the microbiome (The gut microbiome is comprised of the collective genome of microbes inhabiting the gut including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi).