Press: Poop for the Cure™ Putting Poop to Work for Gut Health and Cancer Research

Poop for the Cure

Putting Poop to Work for Gut Health and Cancer Research

At Persephone Biosciences, we believe your gut holds powerful secrets. The trillions of microbes in your gastrointestinal tract don’t just help digest food - they’re connected to immunity, allergies, inflammation, and even cancer. Poop for the Cure™ is our nationwide initiative to collect stool samples that fuel groundbreaking research into the gut microbiome and its role in human health.

Why Gut Health Matters

The microbiome is a community of microbes living in your gut that influence digestion, immunity, and overall wellness.
Research shows changes in the microbiome may play a role in conditions ranging from IBS and allergies to colorectal cancer.
By mapping and analyzing thousands of samples, Persephone is identifying “superhero microbes” that may one day power new probiotics and therapies.

How Poop for the Cure Works

Volunteers donate a simple stool sample using our easy collection kit.
Samples are sequenced, catalogued, and paired with health data to unlock patterns in the microbiome.
The data helps us develop next-generation precision probiotics and explore new cancer-fighting therapies.

Beyond Probiotics: A New Frontier

Unlike conventional probiotics (often milk-based strains discovered a century ago), our work identifies modern, human-derived microbes. These may offer stronger, more targeted benefits for:

Supporting digestive balance
Strengthening the immune system
Enhancing response to cancer treatments
Promoting lifelong gut health, from infancy to adulthood

Join the Movement

Every sample matters. By participating in Poop for the Cure™, you’re helping:

Advance cancer research with partners like the American Cancer Society
Build the world’s largest microbiome library
Create the future of precision probiotics and therapies