Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—the so-called “forever chemicals”—have long been known to accumulate in the human body, raising alarms due to links with decreased fertility, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
In a mouse study published in Nature Microbiology, titled “Human gut bacteria bioaccumulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” researchers describe how certain species of gut bacteria can absorb PFAS from their environment and store them safely inside their cells. This unexpected mechanism may someday open the door to new microbiome-based strategies to protect human health.
“Given the scale of the problem of PFAS ‘forever chemicals,’ particularly their effects on human health, it’s concerning that so little is being done about removing these from our bodies,” said senior author Kiran Patil, PhD, director of research at Cambridge’s MRC Toxicology Unit.
The team tested 38 strains of human gut bacteria, finding many could bioaccumulate PFAS across a wide concentration range, from nanomolar up to 500 micromolar. Notably, Bacteroides uniformis packed millimolar levels of PFAS inside its cells while continuing to grow.
In E. coli, bioaccumulation rose even higher when the TolC efflux pump was absent, suggesting that the bacteria actively transport PFAS across their membranes. Using advanced cryogenic focused ion beam-secondary ion mass spectrometry (FIB-SIMS), the researchers directly visualized PFAS localized within bacterial cells, marking the first proof of intracellular PFAS bioaccumulation. The research team reported that proteomic and metabolomic analysis of PFNA-treated cells, and the mutations identified following laboratory evolution, support these findings.
“The remarkable capacity of gut bacteria to [bioaccumulate] PFAS chemicals was highly surprising,” Patil told GEN. “No studies had previously reported that gut bacteria could accumulate these toxic chemicals…[Our] work adds a fascinating new aspect to the role of gut bacteria in health—helping to remove toxic PFAS chemicals from the body.”
The researchers went on to colonize mice with these human gut bacteria. When the mice consumed PFAS, the bacteria rapidly sequestered the chemicals, which were then excreted in feces, reducing systemic exposure. As the PFAS dose increased, the microbes consistently removed the same proportion, acting like a scalable filter.
“We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations and store these in clumps inside their cells,” said Patil. “Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.”
The researchers believe that the gut-based PFAS capture could ultimately be harnessed in humans. First author Anna Lindell, PhD, and Patil have co-founded a startup, Cambiotics, with biotech entrepreneur Peter Holme Jensen, CEO, to develop probiotics that accelerate PFAS removal.
“The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now,” said co-author Indra Roux, PhD. “We haven’t found a way to destroy PFAS, but our findings open the possibility of getting them out of our bodies where they do the most harm.”
With more than 4,700 PFAS compounds in widespread use—including in nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and food packaging—the discovery of a natural gut-based bioaccumulation mechanism is timely. The researchers caution that human studies are still needed, but hope probiotic interventions could become a tool alongside tighter environmental regulations.
“Cambiotics is building on the findings from this work to develop precision probiotic products to accelerate natural removal of PFAS from the human body,” said Patil. “The first product is expected to be ready in 2026.”
As concerns mount—prompting a U.K. parliamentary inquiry into PFAS risk this year—this gut microbe approach offers a fresh angle on managing the long-term health impacts of these persistent pollutants.
The post PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Absorbed via Human Gut Bacteria in Mice appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
In a mouse study published in Nature Microbiology, titled “Human gut bacteria bioaccumulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” researchers describe how certain species of gut bacteria can absorb PFAS from their environment and store them safely inside their cells. This unexpected mechanism may someday open the door to new microbiome-based strategies to protect human health.
“Given the scale of the problem of PFAS ‘forever chemicals,’ particularly their effects on human health, it’s concerning that so little is being done about removing these from our bodies,” said senior author Kiran Patil, PhD, director of research at Cambridge’s MRC Toxicology Unit.
The team tested 38 strains of human gut bacteria, finding many could bioaccumulate PFAS across a wide concentration range, from nanomolar up to 500 micromolar. Notably, Bacteroides uniformis packed millimolar levels of PFAS inside its cells while continuing to grow.
In E. coli, bioaccumulation rose even higher when the TolC efflux pump was absent, suggesting that the bacteria actively transport PFAS across their membranes. Using advanced cryogenic focused ion beam-secondary ion mass spectrometry (FIB-SIMS), the researchers directly visualized PFAS localized within bacterial cells, marking the first proof of intracellular PFAS bioaccumulation. The research team reported that proteomic and metabolomic analysis of PFNA-treated cells, and the mutations identified following laboratory evolution, support these findings.
“The remarkable capacity of gut bacteria to [bioaccumulate] PFAS chemicals was highly surprising,” Patil told GEN. “No studies had previously reported that gut bacteria could accumulate these toxic chemicals…[Our] work adds a fascinating new aspect to the role of gut bacteria in health—helping to remove toxic PFAS chemicals from the body.”
The researchers went on to colonize mice with these human gut bacteria. When the mice consumed PFAS, the bacteria rapidly sequestered the chemicals, which were then excreted in feces, reducing systemic exposure. As the PFAS dose increased, the microbes consistently removed the same proportion, acting like a scalable filter.
“We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations and store these in clumps inside their cells,” said Patil. “Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.”
The researchers believe that the gut-based PFAS capture could ultimately be harnessed in humans. First author Anna Lindell, PhD, and Patil have co-founded a startup, Cambiotics, with biotech entrepreneur Peter Holme Jensen, CEO, to develop probiotics that accelerate PFAS removal.
“The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now,” said co-author Indra Roux, PhD. “We haven’t found a way to destroy PFAS, but our findings open the possibility of getting them out of our bodies where they do the most harm.”
With more than 4,700 PFAS compounds in widespread use—including in nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and food packaging—the discovery of a natural gut-based bioaccumulation mechanism is timely. The researchers caution that human studies are still needed, but hope probiotic interventions could become a tool alongside tighter environmental regulations.
“Cambiotics is building on the findings from this work to develop precision probiotic products to accelerate natural removal of PFAS from the human body,” said Patil. “The first product is expected to be ready in 2026.”
As concerns mount—prompting a U.K. parliamentary inquiry into PFAS risk this year—this gut microbe approach offers a fresh angle on managing the long-term health impacts of these persistent pollutants.
The post PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Absorbed via Human Gut Bacteria in Mice appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.