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Blue microbiome

CLEO (Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Outcomes Research) is the lead Greek institution coordinating and conducting this Blue Zone microbiome study in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) under Dr.Theoklis Zaoutis.


What CLEO did for the Blue Microbiome project:

Project Overview

  • The study explores how the gut microbiome (GM) differs between Ikaria (a recognized Greek Blue Zone known for exceptional longevity) and Astypalaia (a nearby non-Blue Zone control island).
  • It investigates links between microbial composition, functional pathways, and healthy aging using shotgun metagenomic sequencing on stool samples from 92 participants (children + adults).

CLEO’s Role

Lead coordinating center in Greece, responsible for:

  •  Designing and implementing the multi-site case–control study.
  • Managing participant recruitment, ethical approvals, and field logistics in Ikaria and Astypalaia.
  • Administering questionnaires on diet, medication, lifestyle, and demographics.
  • Collecting, stabilizing, and shipping stool samples (DNA Genotek OMNIgene.GUT kits) for sequencing at CHOP’s microbiome center.
  • Performing statistical analysis (STATA SE v17) and interpreting public-health implications.

Key Scientific Findings of CLEO


Distinct microbiome signatures in Blue Zone adults:

  • ↑ Bacteroides dorei & Bacteroides fragilis
  • ↓ Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriaceae

Functional differences:

  • Enrichment in carbohydrate-degradation genes (especially glycoside hydrolases).
  • Decrease in ABC transporters, two-component systems, and secondary-metabolite biosynthesis genes.\
  • These patterns suggest a community-level functional adaptation rather than strain-level variation.

No comparable differences observed in children — implying these longevity-linked traits develop gradually in adulthood.


Implications

  • CLEO’s work links diet, environment, and microbiome function to healthy aging in Greece.
  • Demonstrates that long-term environmental exposures, not inherent microbial strains, shape a microbiome associated with longevity.
  • Positions CLEO as a regional leader in microbiome-based public-health research and cross-Atlantic collaboration (CLEO × CHOP).