Investigating the Impact of Glyphosate on Health: The Role of Gut Microbiota

Dr. Lauris Evariste aims to investigate the impact of chronic glyphosate exposure on the mouse and human gut microbiota and the consequences on the host’s metabolic health, focusing on hepatic metabolism. He will combine in vivo dietary exposure to various doses of glyphosate with contrasting nutritional factors that are either harmful or beneficial for mice’s gut microbiota and host metabolism. Translation of findings to humans will be ensured by in vitro experiments testing the effects of glyphosate using small-volume bioreactors that allow simultaneous cultivation of microbial communities in a single anaerobic chamber.

In classical reglementary studies, the gut microbiota and metabolic health are poorly explored endpoints. At the same time, they are relevant for developing several chronic pathologies (including obesity, diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) for which environmental contaminants are suspected to play a role.

The research data will be helpful for agencies involved in risk assessment and NGOs’ and consumers’ associations, as they will be complementary to the classical toxicological studies.  The findings of the studies would inform public health policymaking and possibly pending political decisions regarding glyphosate, a widely used pesticide.

May 2022

Expected start date: Summer 2022

Watch Dr. Lauris Evariste pitch his research project in 3 minutes