3D printed pill provides insight into the microbiome

A 3D printed pill is allowing researchers to accurately and non-invasively analyze the contents of the microbiome. Researchers from Tufts University (MA, USA) have developed a 3D printed pill that samples the microbiome as it passes through the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract. The research, published in Advanced Intelligent Systems, carries profound implications for the diagnosis and treatment of microbiome associated diseases. Previous diagnostic tools analyzed the metabolite and DNA content of fecal matter. Whilst effective at identifying what is present in the sample, the method provides little information on the microbial conditions present above the distal colon, where bacterial population can vary...