Abstract 2975 Parasite sex and its use to discover mechanisms of pathogenesis and drug resistance

The human gut harbors diverse bacterial species that play pivotal roles in health and disease.Factors such as diet, sleep patterns, nutritional status, and aging influence the composition of gut microbiota.Despite its relevance, no studies in Peru have characterized gut microbiota composition in the context of nutrition, including the identification of both beneficial and harmful microbial species.This study aimed to quantify the fecal levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum (FN) and Akkermansia muciniphila (AM) in elderly individuals aged 60 to 95 years using real-time PCR (qPCR).Fecal samples were collected from 111 participants attending a center dedicated to the physical, mental, and social well-being of older adults.Genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from the fecal samples and analyzed via absolute qPCR.AM was detected in 62.2% of the samples, with values ranging from 20 copies/mg stool to 2.310 6 copies/mg stool.FN was detected in 18% of the samples, with values ranging from 25 copies/mg stool to 3047 copies/mg stool.These findings reveal considerable inter-individual variability in the levels of two key members of the gut microbiota, highlighting the complex microbial dynamics in elderly populations.