GEM – Genetic, environmental, microbial project

Study code
NBR12

Lead researcher
Dr Miles Parkes

Study type
Participant re-contact

Institution or company
University of Cambridge

Researcher type
Non-commercial

Speciality area
Genomics and Rare Diseases, Gastroenterology

Summary

The goal of the GEM study is to identify environmental and microbial risk factors for Crohn’s disease by prospectively recruiting and sampling from a large cohort of individuals who are at high risk of developing Crohn’s disease by virtue of having an affected first degree relative. This reduces the confounding effect that gut inflammation has on the gut microbiota – which has always fundamentally undermined attempts to define microbial triggers for IBD.