The Yanomami Microbiome Project
The Human Microbiome
The human microbiome is like an ecosystem inside us, made up of trillions of microscopic life forms. Most are bacteria and fungi, but there are also archaea, protozoa, and viruses that together shape how our bodies function. In the gut especially, these communities help digest food, produce vitamins, train the immune system, and protect against harmful germs.
Each person’s microbiome is unique, shaped by what we eat, where we live, and how we interact with the world around us. Scientists have discovered striking differences between the microbiomes of people living in industrialized societies and those of Indigenous communities whose lifestyles remain closely connected to traditional food systems and ecosystems. These differences may help explain why some chronic diseases are far more common in industrialized populations.
Impact of Industrialization
Industrialized lifestyles have dramatically changed our relationship with microbes. Diets high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats but low in fiber reduce microbial diversity, disrupting the balance of gut communities. This imbalance, often called dysbiosis, has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic inflammatory diseases.
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The widespread use of antibiotics in medicine and farming, combined with strict sanitation practices, further alters our microbial ecosystems. While these practices have saved countless lives, they also reduce microbial exposure and weaken the immune system’s ability to regulate inflammation.
As a result, people in industrialized societies are more prone to allergies, asthma, and autoimmune conditions.
By studying how industrialization reshapes the microbiome, scientists can develop new ways to prevent and treat chronic inflammatory diseases that are urgent global health challenges. Research into these shifts does more than explain why conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and autoimmune disorders are increasing. It also points to strategies for restoring microbial diversity through diet, lifestyle, and medical innovation.
Understanding the microbiome in different cultural and ecological contexts, including among Indigenous populations like the Yanomami, offers vital insights into what a healthy microbial ecosystem looks like. In this way, microbiome science addresses the health crises of industrialized societies and underscores the importance of protecting diverse ways of living and the microbial resilience they foster.
The Yanomami Microbiome
Many Yanomami communities maintain a lifestyle of gardening, foraging, hunting, and fishing. Their diets are naturally rich in fiber from fruits, vegetables, tubers, and wild plants, which nourish a highly diverse microbiome. This microbial richness may help protect against chronic inflammatory diseases that are common elsewhere but rare among the Yanomami.
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At the same time, some Yanomami communities are increasingly exposed to the ultra-processed foods, medicines, and environments of industrialized society. These changes bring new health risks, from infectious diseases to shifts in diet and lifestyle. Protecting their health and cultural knowledge, therefore, also means protecting the ecosystems that sustain them and the microbiomes that live within them. The Yanomami microbiome offers more than scientific insight into human health; it reflects an ongoing relationship between people, land, and culture. Preserving this living system is vital for the well-being of the Yanomami and for global science, as it provides essential insights into how human biology has adapted to diverse environments. In this sense, safeguarding Yanomami knowledge and resilience is inextricably linked to advancing microbiome research that can benefit humanity as a whole.
Facilitating Research
The Yanomami Foundation collaborates with communities to investigate the relationships between food systems, the environment, and the microbiome. This research deepens our understanding of human health while also highlighting the impacts of cultural change and environmental threats.
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The Yanomami are far more than participants in this work; they are co-creators of knowledge, colleagues, and research partners. They have expressed a strong interest in learning more about science, sharing their perspectives, and strengthening their own capacity to guide research. Their collaboration ensures that the Yanomami Microbiome Project is built on mutual respect and meaningful exchange
Stewardship
The Yanomami Foundation is committed to ensuring that microbiome research is conducted responsibly and ethically. Together with Yanomami leaders, we promote community-based approaches, transparent sharing of results, intercultural training, and fair benefit-sharing.
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This means that funding supports community priorities, oversight comes from within Yanomami institutions, and researchers engage as partners rather than extractors of knowledge. These principles create a model of reciprocity and accountability that benefits both science and the Yanomami people.
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The Yanomami Microbiome Project is a scientific initiative and international partnership founded on respect, self-determination, and a shared commitment to advancing knowledge for the benefit of all.
Scientific articles on the Yanomami Microbiome:
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Vancuren, Sarah. Modeling the Non-Industrial Gut Microbiota: Effect of Diet on Structure and Function. Diss. University of Guelph, 2021.
Durack, Juliana et al. Yanomami skin microbiome complexity challenges prevailing concepts of healthy skin. Nature Communications 16 (2025): 5542.