03 May 2021 - 7:00 From left: Ibrahim Laswi, Dr. Ghizlane Bendriss and Dr. Noha Yousri The Peninsula Doha: Faculty and student researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) have examined the relationship between neurodevelopmental and gastrointestinal disorders, and the natural bacteria and fungi found within the body. It is known that people suffering from neurodevelopmental illnesses like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders often experience gastrointestinal issues, and conversely, patients with gastrointestinal diseases are more likely to have issues with anxiety. To try to understand this, researchers at WCM-Q conducted a pilot study involving 55 volunteers to look at their individual bacteriomes (the bacteria living naturally in their bodies) and mycobiomes (the fungi found naturally in their bodies). Each volunteer had either a neurodevelopment or gastrointestinal issue, along with a control group of individuals who had neither. Variables such as diet and intake of probiotic samples were also taken into consideration.Each volunteer answered a questionnaire and provided a stool sample, and the different species of bacteria and fungi in each were analyzed.