Scientists have developed an advanced AI tool that can determine where a person has recently been by analyzing the microorganisms, or tiny living organisms, they carry on their body. Published in Genome Biology and Evolution, this discovery allows researchers to identify if someone has recently visited places like a beach, train station, or park. Microorganisms on our bodies act like unique “micro fingerprints” that hold clues to different geographical locations.
Unlike traditional GPS, this new tool—developed by researchers at Lund University in Sweden—uses a Microbiome Geographic Population Structure (mGPS) to map places someone has visited by identifying the specific microbiome, or community of microorganisms, tied to those areas. Microbiomes consist of tiny life forms like bacteria and fungi that vary by location.
One of the study’s authors, Eran Elhaik, explained, “The human microbiome changes as we move through different environments. By tracking where these microorganisms have been, we can help identify the spread of diseases, find sources of infection, and even provide clues for criminal investigations.”
How the AI Tool Was Trained:
To teach the AI, researchers used large amounts of microbiome data collected from various places worldwide, including cities, soil, and marine environments. They analyzed data from 53 cities, 18 countries, and nine seas. The AI learned to connect specific “micro fingerprints” from these environments to exact locations, creating a highly accurate tool for pinpointing where a microbiome sample originated.
Source: ndtv
