Gut Instinct
“Gut Instinct” aims to reveal the unseen links between the gut microbiome, the Microbiome of the Built Environment (MoBE) and mental health. The proposal examines symbiotic relationships surrounding us, raising awareness of nutrition’s impact on mental health and environmental concerns.
Recently, “healing the gut” has become a more widespread medical ideal, especially since the discovery of its links to mental health. However, researchers haven’t yet identified clear causality relationships between specific microbes and their potential psychological impact. This uncertainty leads to misinformation being spread. The proposal brings together multiple disciplines in order to create a more precise framework for gut treatments. The on-site allotment and the mushroom farm provide fresh produce for the restaurant and market, reducing the carbon footprint usually associated with the transportation of foodstuffs. The users will, therefore, benefit from:
•professional nutritionist and psychological advice
•gut microbiome testing
•examples of meals they could prepare at home
•the possibility of procuring the ingredients used
The MoBE has just as big of an impact on mental health as the food we consume. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the importance of developing better materials and building methods. In order to determine clear health impacts caused by the microbes found within buildings, better methods of microbial identification need to be developed. Not only are these microbes hard to sample, but also, researchers have found difficulty in culturing them.
So far, the most reliable methods of research rely on data collection, more specifically, temperature, moisture and airflow. The proposal will accommodate further studies allowing researchers to adapt interior spaces based on their findings.
The proposal will use sensors for water penetration, filter performance, occupancy density and air quality in order to regulate the following parameters:
• ventilation rates
• air and water filtration efficiency
• maintenance schedules
• materials (antimicrobial properties)
