Recent News & Updates

April-May 2024: Snyder Lab's research featured on the cover of Cell Host & Microbe. 

March 2024: Parts of our microbiomes that are unique to us are the most stable. 

'Longitudinal profiling of the microbiome at four body sites reveals core stability and individualized dynamics during health and disease'. 

Highlights

  • • The stability of the human microbiome varies among individuals and body sites
  • • Highly individualized microbial genera are more stable over time
  • • At each body site, coordinated microbial dynamics are observed in response to disease
  • • Microbiome stability and skin microbial composition are altered with insulin resistance

Learn more >


2024 Updates from the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council meeting.

Michael Snyder, Ph.D., demonstrates environmental sampling features of his Exposometer device invention as NIEHS seeks to better understand how environments affect human health. Learn about related research.

Dynamic Human Environmental Exposome Revealed by Longitudinal Personal Monitoring Graphical Abstract Highlights d Human exposome, including biotic/abiotic exposures, is vast, diverse, and dynamic d Human exposome is influenced by environmental and spatial/lifestyle variables d People can have distinct personalized exposomes, even when geographically close d Human- and environment-related exposures constitute the human exposome cloud Authors Chao Jiang, Xin Wang, Xiyan Li, Jingga Inlora, Ting Wang, Qing Liu, Michael Snyder.

In Brief Tracking personal exposure to airborne biological and chemical agents enables construction of an interaction network linking individuals, their geographic locations, and environmental factors, which could have broad implications for human health.


2024 Researching The Benefits of 'Forest' Aromatherapy

Beneficial Exposures Study:

Exploring  potential health benefits resulting from regular exposure to compounds extracted from plants. We hope to learn how the human body is influenced by regular exposure to these compounds.

About this study

This study will be entirely performed remotely. The study team will send you the supplies needed for the study.  We will gather information from a wearable monitor (Fitbit), Personal Exposome Monitor (PEM), surveys, and blood specimens to assess the effect of introducing diffused natural compounds in your home environment (specifically during sleep).

Exposome Research at Snyder lab

Snyder Labs currently has three research studies examining the exposomes in our environment.  

Crohn's Exposome Research Study

Investigating the role of human exposome in Crohn’s disease using wearable sensors and multiomics profiling.

We conduct the study to better understand the association between airborne exposures and onset and flares of Crohn’s disease.

Exposures Research Study:

Longitudinal profiling of personal home and work exposomes We seek to identify and evaluate the environmental and workplace exposures using comprehensive exposome analysis methods and the combination of metabolomics data to identify occupational exposures that may impact human health.


July 19, 2023 - Published in Nature by HuBMAP

17 Scientific Papers Published in this package.

The first coordinated set of papers to chart out a set of high-resolution, single-cell maps of human organs.

First spatial map Michael P. Snyder, PhD.

Snyder Lab works with international collaborators to "uncover how cellular interactions reveal new ways cells can communicate with each other".

from Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News:

"The research projects in Michael Snyder, PhD’s lab at Stanford cover a wide range of interests; COVID-19, the NASA twin study, and personal omics profiling to name some examples. 

Another interest of Snyder’s is spatial biology. He told GEN earlier this year that uncovering cellular interactions using spatial will be “super cool,” especially since doing so promises to reveal how cells communicate with each other. And, that researchers will be able to uncover biology that nobody has ever been able to get at before.

Now, the Snyder lab—working together with collaborators—has published the first spatial map of the intestine at the single cell level. To map the intestine (which is over 9 m long) scientists examined eight regions of the small and large intestine from nine deceased donors using CODEX (co-detection by indexing) technology which involves staining and washing the tissue repeatedly with fluorescent antibodies. In doing so, the researchers identified 20 distinct cellular neighborhoods based on the relative abundance of each cell type. Additional molecular analysis of RNA and chromosomal material from some of the samples provided an even greater level of detail within each cell type."

 


Earn a Certificate in Genetics & Genomics taught by Dr. Snyder.

Two course accessible to all:

1. Foundations of Genetics and Genomics

New technologies and breakthroughs in research are impacting the health and medicine industries and allowing for the use of personalized medicine, genetic engineering, and more. But what does this all mean, and how are these innovations occurring? Understanding the core concepts of genes and genomes will help you grasp how researchers and health professionals improve disease diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. 

From studying the function and structure of chromosomes to examining the genetic codes found in DNA, the Foundations of Genetics and Genomics track will give you the fundamental knowledge needed to understand how we can progress in our work targeting human health and disease, and prepare you to explore more advanced topics.

This is the first Certificate Program in our two-part Genetics and Genomics series. Cover the fundamentals before diving into our Advanced Topics in Genetics and Genomics Program that explores gene and genome use cases in the health and medicine industries.

2. Advanced Topics in Genetics and Genomics

Technologies like CRISPR and stem cell therapies, and research such as those in the fields of epigenetics and biotechnology, are changing how we understand and develop solutions for medicine, biology, and agriculture. The fields of genetics and genomics are constantly evolving from personalized treatment plans based on your genes, lifestyle, and environment to manipulating DNA and editing genetic code. The Advanced Topics in Genetics and Genomics track allows you to dive deeper into the topics you care about and provides you with up-to-date information on cutting-edge research and technologies in the health and medicine industries today.

This is the second Certificate Program in our two-part Genetics and Genomics series. Learn how research on genes and genomes is being applied to innovate the health and medicine industries. Need to brush up on the fundamentals? Check out the Foundations in Genetics and Genomics Program.


May 2023 - The Human Immunome Project: Dr. Snyder Speaks on transforming healthcare with deep data and remote monitoring.
Watch the video >


January 27, 2023 - Dr. Snyder speaks this week at the 2023 International Precision Medicine World Conference

https://www.pmwcintl.com/speaker/michael-snyder-138_stanford_2023sv

Dr. Snyder gives a talk about the Analysis of Omics Data Using Novel AI Strategies Provides Insights and Applications into Healthcare. 



Jan 20, 2023 - Highlighted in USA Today: 
We can now measure thousands of protein, fat and metabolic molecules from a single drop of blood.

Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering:
Multi-omics microsampling for the profiling of lifestyle-associated changes in health:

Current healthcare practices are reactive and use limited physiological and clinical information, often collected months or years apart. Moreover, the discovery and profiling of blood biomarkers in clinical and research settings are constrained by geographical barriers, the cost and inconvenience of in-clinic venepuncture, low sampling frequency and the low depth of molecular measurements.


Current healthcare practices are reactive and use limited physiological and clinical information, often collected months or years apart. Moreover, the discovery and profiling of blood biomarkers in clinical and research settings are constrained by geographical barriers, the cost and inconvenience of in-clinic venepuncture, low sampling frequency and the low depth of molecular measurements.

Here we describe a strategy for the frequent capture and analysis of thousands of metabolites, lipids, cytokines and proteins in 10 μl of blood alongside physiological information from wearable sensors.

learn more


January 11, 2023 - Featured in Futurity:

BIOMARKERS CAN POINT TO RIGHT DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Published December 2022 - Cell Press Journal:

A new analysis of data from a yearlong weight-loss study identifies behaviors and biomarkers that contribute to short- and long-term weight loss.


“Weight loss is enigmatic and complicated, but we can predict from the outset with the microbiome and metabolic biomarkers who will lose the most weight and who will keep it off.” -Michael Snyder

Distinct factors associated with short-term and long-term weight loss induced by low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet intervention

Highlights

•Distinct variables are associated with short-term and long-term weight-loss success

•The primary drivers for short-term weight loss are diet adherence and diet quality

•Long-term weight loss is related to personal multi-omics markers at baseline

•Baseline factors (e.g., RQ) can suggest precision approaches to weight loss

Summary

To understand what determines the success of short- and long-term weight loss, we conduct a secondary analysis of dietary, metabolic, and molecular data collected from 609 participants before, during, and after a 1-year weight-loss intervention with either a healthy low-carbohydrate (HLC) or a healthy low-fat (HLF) diet.





Artificial Intelligence, Genes and Ethics

September 2022

  • What is AI and why is it sometimes biased?

  • How will AI affect medicine to help us but also what are theconditions in which it may harm us.

Will Earth one day be populated by beings who are different from us in their cognitiveand physical abilities.

This course will look at the intersection of AI and Genetics to analyze advancesthat could be made but also ethical questions that should be asked.



Research revealing key exposome findings featured on the cover of Cell Systems

Published in the August & September 2022 issue


Highlights

  • Machine learning combines GWAS with single-cell omics to discover COVID-19 risk genes

  • The discovered severe COVID-19 risk genes account for 77% of the observed heritability

  • Genetic risk for severe COVID-19 is focused within NK cells and T cells

  • Mendelian randomization and single-cell multiomics highlight CD56bright NK cells

Summary

The determinants of severe COVID-19 in healthy adults are poorly understood, which limits the opportunity for early intervention. We present a multiomic analysis using machine learning to characterize the genomic basis of COVID-19 severity. We use single-cell multiome profiling of human lungs to link genetic signals to cell-type-specific functions. We discover >1,000 risk genes across 19 cell types, which account for 77% of the SNP-based heritability for severe disease. Genetic risk is particularly focused within natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, placing the dysfunction of these cells upstream of severe disease. Mendelian randomization and single-cell profiling of human NK cells support the role of NK cells and further localize genetic risk to CD56bright NK cells, which are key cytokine producers during the innate immune response.
 
Rare variant analysis confirms the enrichment of severe-disease-associated genetic variation within NK-cell risk genes. Our study provides insights into the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 with potential therapeutic targets.

Sai Zhang, Johnathan Cooper-Knock, Annika K. Weimer, Minyi Shi, Lina Kozhaya, Derya Unutmaz, Calum Harvey, Thomas H.Julian, Simone Furini, Elisa Frullanti, FrancescaFava, Alessandra Renieri, Peng Gao, Xiaotao Shen, Ilia Sarah Timpanaro, Kevin P. Kenna, J. Kenneth Baillie, Mark M. Davis, Michael P. Snyder

 


Introducing TidyMass: A new solution for reproducibility, traceability and transparency metabolomics data analysis

July 28, 2022

Published today in Nature Communications, a solution for the long-standing issues of reproducibility, traceability and transparency for metabolomics data analysis. Here, the authors present the TidyMass project (https://www.tidymass.org/), a comprehensive R-based computational framework that can achieve the traceable, shareable, and reproducible workflow needs of data processing and analysis for LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics. TidyMass is an ecosystem of R packages that share an underlying design philosophy, grammar, and data structure, which provides a comprehensive, reproducible, and object-oriented computational framework. Find the full publication here: https://lnkd.in/geYuuyhC Visit the TidyMass website: https://www.tidymass.org/



Groundbreaking research, featured on the cover of Genome Research

Published in the June & July 2022 issue

Featuring the first study integrating external exposures and internal biomolecular profiles together to see how the exposome shaped the human phenotypes leading to thousands of significant associations that are valuable resources for future exposome-phenome interactions studies.

In this issue, thousands of longitudinally measured chemical and biological components along with physical factors in the personal exposome cloud were investigated for their impact on internal -omes, such as the proteome, metabolome, gut microbiome, as well as cytokines and blood markers. On the cover, the dynamic and diverse exposomics profile is depicted as a mixture and its complex interactions with the gut microbiome and internal biomolecules in various organs is illustrated. These potential gene–environment interactions elucidate how the exposome shapes human phenome and impacts precision health. Cover artwork by Lettie McGuire. [For details, see Gao et al., pp. 1199–1214.])



Explore Precision Medicine, Big Data & Artifical Intelligence

July 18-29, 2022

Explore Our Exciting Summer Virtual Workshop 
For US & International Students Ages 16+ -

Explore cutting-edge, deep medicine topics including wearable health devices, artificial intelligence, infectious disease detection, cancer genomics, and more.

https://tinyurl.com/5d75bbf7



Dr. Snyder gives a talk at EverythingALS on our new Genomic ML method for deciphering genetics of complex disease. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGjYG4MY64U

Read the research paper: Genome-wide identification of the genetic basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

In this study, we built a real-time smartwatch-based alerting system that detects aberrant physiological and activity signals (heart rates and steps) associated with the onset of early infection and implemented this system in a prospective study.  Early detection of infectious diseases is crucial for reducing transmission and facilitating early intervention. In this study, we built a real-time smartwatch-based alerting system that detects aberrant physiological and activity signals (heart rates and steps) associated with the onset of early infection and implemented this system in a prospective study. In a cohort of 3,318 participants, of whom 84 were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), this system generated alerts for pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in 67 (80%) of the infected individuals.


Landmark Study Published in Nature Medicine

In this study, we built a real-time smartwatch-based alerting system that detects aberrant physiological and activity signals (heart rates and steps) associated with the onset of early infection and implemented this system in a prospective study.  Early detection of infectious diseases is crucial for reducing transmission and facilitating early intervention. In this study, we built a real-time smartwatch-based alerting system that detects aberrant physiological and activity signals (heart rates and steps) associated with the onset of early infection and implemented this system in a prospective study. In a cohort of 3,318 participants, of whom 84 were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), this system generated alerts for pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in 67 (80%) of the infected individuals.



Body Count

December 2021 : How Michael Snyder’s self-monitoring project could transform human health

"What Snyder wants everyone—patient and doctor—to grasp is that the biometric signature of health can look different from person to person. The current system, which evaluates whether someone is healthy according to norms averaged from the larger population, fails to account for how much variation exists among humans. The solution he envisions will require better smart wearables, better testing and better algorithms to crunch the vast data from a variety of “omes.” It will require start-ups to innovate technologies and make them accessible. And it will demand an overhaul of health care so that people can be alerted when their biometrics change and a doctor can investigate what has gone awry..."