A self-proclaimed “biohacker” has captured on video his quest to completely replace his microbiome in an effort to manage his severe IBS.
US-based Josiah Zayner has been panned by critics for the biohacking stunt – the term refers to self-experimentation – in which he ingested antibiotics and scrubbed down in an attempt to destroy his entire microbiome. He then imbibed donor bacteria gleaned from skin and nostril swabs and faeces in an attempt to recolonise it.
The video posted on Youtube features cringeworthy footage of the former NASA biology research scientist preparing home-made poo capsules using a mortar and pestle before holing up in a pre-sterilised hotel room to carry out his biohacking plan.
Zayner says an intractable IBS was a primary motivator, but in an interview with the Atlantic he describes his ambitions as an activist to push the envelope of what’s seen as acceptable in modern science.
Watch the video here: