New AI Tool Uses Your Microbiome to Pinpoint Locations

Last Updated on November 12, 2024 by SPN Editor

In a groundbreaking development, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have unveiled an AI tool capable of pinpointing someone’s recent locations by analyzing the microorganisms they carry. This innovative technology, known as the Microbiome Geographic Population Structure (mGPS), adopts the unique microbial signatures left behind on your body to trace your movements with impressive accuracy. The findings, published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, mark a significant advancement in the field of microbial research and AI.

How Does Microbiome Work?

The human microbiome consists of all the microbes, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally inhabit our bodies and live inside us. Although these microorganisms require a microscope to be seen, they play crucial roles in our health and wellness. The composition of our microbiome changes constantly as we come into contact with different environments, making it possible to use these changes to track our movements.

According to Eran Elhaik, a researcher at Lund University and co-author of the study, “In contrast to human DNA, the human microbiome changes constantly when we come into contact with different environments.”

Training the AI

To develop mGPS, researchers collected extensive datasets of microbiome samples from various environments, including subways, urban areas, soil, and marine ecosystems. They fed this data into an AI model, which was trained to identify the unique proportions of microbial fingerprints and link them to geographical locations. The AI was tested on samples from 53 cities, 237 soil samples from 18 countries, and 131 marine samples from nine bodies of water.

The mGPS tool has shown remarkable accuracy in pinpointing the source of microbiome samples. In tests, it successfully identified the city source for 92% of city samples. To further challenge the system’s accuracy, it was trained on data from the three most extensively sampled cities: New York, Hong Kong, and London. In Hong Kong, the AI could distinguish between two subway stations just 564 feet apart, and in New York City, it differentiated a kiosk from a handrail less than a meter away. However, the accuracy was lower in London due to the unkempt condition of the underground stations.

Potential Applications

The mGPS tool opens up new possibilities in various fields, including medicine, epidemiology, and forensics. By tracing the recent locations of individuals, researchers can better understand the spread of diseases, identify potential sources of infection, and localize the emergence of microbial resistance. Additionally, the tool can provide forensic keys that can be used in criminal investigations.

As the technology continues to evolve, adding more microbiome data will only improve the tool’s accuracy and utility. The researchers at Lund University are optimistic about the potential of mGPS to revolutionize how we track and understand human movement and its implications for public health and safety.

The development of the mGPS tool represents a significant advancement in the field of location tracking and microbiome research. By harnessing the power of AI and the unique microbial signatures we carry, this technology has the potential to transform various industries and improve our understanding of human-environment interactions.