Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has introduced a new specialised Microbiome Service aimed at advancing precision medicine and personalised healthcare. Announced on June 27 to coincide with World Microbiome Day, the service provides advanced microbiome testing and analysis, primarily supporting women, children, and young people. It offers researchers and clinicians access to state-of-the-art sequencing and bioinformatics tools to study microbial communities across various body sites, including blood, stool, skin, saliva, breastmilk, and tissue biopsies.
The service, established by Sidra’s Laboratory of Microbiome and Biomarkers Discovery, is available on a private-paid basis to academic and industry investigators, particularly those from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region who may lack the infrastructure or expertise for such detailed analyses. The goal is to deepen understanding of the human microbiome’s impact on health and disease and to facilitate the translation of these insights into improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Dr. Souhaila Al Khodor, director of the Reproductive and Perinatal Health Division and head of the Microbiome & Biomarkers Discovery lab, emphasized the critical role of the microbiome throughout life stages. She noted that the service will support both clinical and research sectors by characterizing complex microbial interactions that influence immune function, development, and chronic disease risk. “By integrating advanced microbiome analysis into our research and clinical ecosystem, Sidra Medicine is helping shape the future of precision medicine in Qatar and the region,” she said.
In addition to launching the new service, Sidra Medicine announced it will host the second MENA Microbiome Conference from October 17 to 18, 2026. The event aims to gather international scientists, clinicians, and industry experts to discuss recent advancements in microbiome science and explore its clinical applications. The conference will focus on key themes such as the microbiome’s role in women’s health, its foundational influence during the first 1,000 days of life, new discoveries related to gut-organ axes, and innovative therapeutic strategies targeting host-microbiome interactions.
Dr. Annalisa Terranegra, principal investigator in Precision Nutrition at Sidra Medicine and co-chair of the conference, highlighted the event’s role in fostering collaboration across the MENA region’s research and healthcare communities. She remarked that the conference serves as a platform to accelerate the integration of microbiome research into practical healthcare solutions, reflecting the field’s rapid advancements and increasing relevance to precision medicine.
Sidra Medicine’s initiatives underscore a broader effort to position Qatar as a regional leader in scientific innovation, translational research, and personalised medical care through enhanced understanding of the microbiome’s significant health implications.