BioAct-FMT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Compositional and functional characterisation of faecal microbiota transplants for dysbiosis treatment
IRAS ID
363168
Contact name
Richard Horniblow
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study will examine how faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) material is prepared and what it contains. FMT is a medical treatment where stool from a carefully screened healthy donor is used to help restore balance to the gut microbiome in a patient. It is an established treatment for serious gut infections such as Clostridioides difficile and is being explored for other conditions linked to gut inflammation.
At the University of Birmingham’s Microbiome Treatment Centre (MTC), FMT is currently prepared as a liquid “slurry” from donated stool. This study will use small surplus samples from the MTC to investigate how processing and storage affect the living microbes, bacterial viruses (called bacteriophages), and key chemical compounds (metabolites) in FMT. In addition to studying donor stool and the FMT slurry prepared by the MTC, some research samples will be freeze-dried/lyophilised within University of Birmingham research laboratories to examine how this process affects sample composition and stability. Lyophilised preparations will be analysed as part of this research only and will not be used for the treatment of patients.
By comparing donor stool, FMT slurry, and laboratory freeze-dried research samples, the study will identify which processing methods best preserve the active components that may contribute to FMT effectiveness. This work will help create evidence-based guidance for producing more consistent and effective FMT preparations in future.
No extra samples or procedures will be required from donors beyond what is already part of the MTC’s normal donation process. All samples will be pseudo-anonymised before use, and the research will comply with ethical, data protection, and Human Tissue Authority requirements.
The study is funded by Bowel Research UK and supported by the NIHR BRC at the University of Birmingham.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/PR/0405
Date of REC Opinion
16 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion