Qatar

Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.

Qatar

Dr Ghizlane Bendriss.

WCM-Q-co-ordinated e-book on faecal microbiota transplants surpasses 100,000 views

An e-book co-ordinated by a WCM-Q researcher which compiles the latest research into the use of faecal transplants to restore healthy gut microbiota has proven so successful it is to be relaunched in an expanded form next year.The e-book, titled, ‘Faecal Microbiota Transplants: challenges in translating microbiome research to clinical applications,’ has garnered more than 100,000 views in only one month since its publication in Frontiers in Microbiology, one of the most cited open access microbiology research journals.Following that success, the journal has invited the editorial team to launch a second volume of the e-book to capitalise on the upswell of interest in the topic.The first volume of the e-book, of which WCM-Q assistant professor of biology Dr Ghizlane Bendriss is the research topic co-ordinator, featured 26 research articles examining the challenges preventing faecal microbiota transplants (FMT) from becoming adopted into mainstream clinical practice.The procedure, which involves transplanting a healthy stool sample from a donor into the gastrointestinal tube of a patient with an unbalanced gut microbiome showing a loss of diversity, has been found to be effective at re-establishing a diverse gut flora in the recipient, but widespread adoption remains elusive.Dr Bendriss, who holds a PhD in neuroscience, said: “Faecal microbiota transplants show promise as treatments for a wide variety of conditions, yet progress in translation into clinical applications has been slow."This e-book is a collection of accepted manuscripts highlighting the challenges that are preventing the widespread clinical adoption of FMT, which include difficulty in finding and screening healthy donors, regulatory challenges, technical difficulties relating to collection, storage and transport of stool samples, difficulty predicting outcomes, and the lack of known biomarkers to assess the success of transplants, among many others.”However, Dr Bendriss said that new developments in the field of multi-omics, now increasingly coupled with artificial intelligence to enable large-scale pattern detection and in-depth study of metabolic processes, provide new tools for testing the effectiveness of faecal transplants.WCM-Q is a regional pioneer in the study of multi-omics, including metabolomics, metagenomics and proteomics, and has also developed advanced capabilities in AI and machine learning research in recent years.

Gulf Times

Minister launches State of the Environment Report in Qatar 2025

His Excellency the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie launched Tuesday the State of the Environment Report for the State of Qatar 2025.The report dealt with the current environmental conditions in Qatar, highlighting key challenges and achievements, as well as environmental priorities for the coming period.In a statement on this occasion, HE Dr al-Subaie affirmed that the report's release is part of the institutional efforts to develop the environmental framework in the country and provide a database and accurate indicators that contribute to supporting the formulation of environmental policies on clear scientific foundations.He noted the report's alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030 and its support for national directions in the areas of environmental protection and achieving sustainable development.The minister emphasised the importance of this report as a supportive tool for decision-makers, helping to guide environmental policies and update relevant national plans.HE Dr al-Subaie also highlighted its role in enhancing co-ordination among stakeholders, stressing that it represents a national scientific reference that supports the preparation of national reports related to environmental commitments at the regional and international levels.He added that the report is the culmination of efforts by many experts, researchers, specialists, and academics, totaling nearly 80 participants.The preparation, analysis, and review phases took approximately one year.The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) undersecretary, His Excellency Eng. Abdulaziz bin Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud, said that the report provides a comprehensive overview of the country's environment.This is achieved, he said, through the collection and analysis of environmental data and indicators related to various environmental components.HE al-Mahmoud noted its role in monitoring the state of the environment and related issues within a systematic framework that allows for an understanding of current conditions and changes that have occurred between 2021 and 2024.He said that the report contributes to standardising work frameworks among relevant departments, organising monitoring and follow-up processes, and linking the results to the MoECC’s existing programmes and implementation plans.HE al-Mahmoud added that the updated environmental information in the report supports improved internal co-ordination mechanisms and helps in monitoring the implementation of environmental responsibilities for each entity, according to clearly defined roles.The director of the MoECC’s Technical Office and general supervisor of the report's preparation, Eng. Hussein Saad al-Kubaisi, said that this edition is an extension of the State of the Environment Report 2021.He explained that it provides an updated assessment based on accurate environmental data covering the period from 2020 to 2024, as well as the most significant developments at the national, regional, and global levels.The report, al-Kubaisi added, comprises nine main sections covering the country's key environmental areas: biodiversity, the air environment and climate change, the marine environment, water resources, land resources, waste management and the circular economy, as well as environment and development, environmental policies and governance, and future visions and prospects.The official noted that the report was prepared in collaboration with Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar University, and Earthna Centre, with the participation of a select group of national experts and scientists.It followed the methodology adopted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)'s Development Programme on Environmental Impact Assessment (DPSIR), which allows for a comprehensive analysis encompassing driving forces, environmental pressures, the current situation, impacts, and responses.Al-Kubaisi added that the preparation phases saw broad participation from relevant stakeholders.The MoECC organised an extensive workshop last September, which was attended by representatives from 25 departments from 13 national entities.