Citizen Scientists are Committed to Vaginal Health
A research consortium, including microbiologist Remco Kort, has launched a unique citizen science project focused on vaginal health. The participants contribute to finding solutions for health issues such as urogenital infections, while retaining co-ownership of their own isolated bacterial strains.
In a new study, published in PLOS ONE, the protocol for the citizen science project ‘Van Vrouwen voor Vrouwen’ (From Women for Women) is described. In this project, women collaborate with researchers to investigate the role of the Lactobacillus crispatus bacteria in vaginal health and to develop a new, female-friendly product. The research demonstrates how women can be actively involved in a project where their body’s own microbes are isolated.
Bacterial Strains
Participants took vaginal swabs, which were analyzed in the lab for diversity, and bacteria were isolated according to a new protocol. Specifically, the Lactobacillus crispatus bacteria were targeted, as it can help prevent urogenital infections. Scientists from the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) analyzed the data and conducted experiments to examine differences between the L.crispatus bacteria strains.
Based on these findings, several bacterial strains were selected and, in collaboration with Winclove Probiotics, were grown on a large scale and dried into a powder. The ultimate goal is to develop a product with this powder to help prevent common recurring vaginal issues in women.
Citizen Science
The project demonstrates how participating women can be actively engaged when their body’s own microbes are being isolated for research. For example, the citizen scientists contributed to the content of the article about the research protocol. They united in the collective Stichting Crispatus (Crispatus Foundation) and will remain co-owners of the selected strains that will be used in the final product. They also provided feedback on the types of products they prefer to use, such as tampons or creams. This product will be developed in collaboration with Yoni, a producer of sustainable femcare products, and Winclove Probiotics.
Podcast
Around the project, the Van Vrouwen Voor Vrouwen-podcast (From Women for Women-podcast), has been created, available on Spotify and Apple. The podcast delves deeper into the research and the importance of vaginal health. Alongside the participating citizen scientists, all project partners speak, as well as Remco Kort and potential users of the product who were interviewed at a festival. According to the researchers, this shows that citizen science resonates with people from all walks of life and highlights the growing societal interest and need for research on vaginal health.
The research consortium is a collaboration between Vrije Universiteit, BaseClear, Yoni, Stichting Crispatus, and Winclove Probiotics. The research is funded by Health Holland.
