27 October 2026

During September and October 2026, Boubli Lab member and PhD student Tommy Burch visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), USA, to develop his research on the gut microbiome of the northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus). Tommy was granted the position of Honorary Associate in the Department of Anthropology, running from September 2026 to June 2027, to work closely with Dr Karen Strier, Vilas Research Professor and Irven DeVore Professor.

Prof. Strier is the founder and director of the Muriqui Project of Caratinga (MPC), where northern muriquis have been studied for over 40 years. As part of Tommy’s PhD project, faecal samples were previously collected from the muriqui population at the Feliciano Miguel Abdala Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN-FMA), Caratinga, Brazil, during 2024 for gut microbiome analysis. The MPC team also collects behavioural ecology data on the population year-round, providing a valuable opportunity to investigate how gut microbiome variation relates to the behaviour and ecology of these primates.

The visit builds on an existing collaboration between the Boubli and Strier research groups. Professor Jean Boubli previously conducted postdoctoral research at Caratinga between 2001 and 2005, investigating the behavioural ecology of northern muriquis under the supervision of Professor Strier. Following an invitation from Prof. Strier, Tommy spent his time at UW-Madison organising and preparing the relevant datasets, with analyses now ready to begin.

During his visit, Tommy also participated in a joint lab meeting involving the research groups of Prof. Strier and Dr Margaret Bryer, where he presented his ongoing research on the muriqui gut microbiome and received feedback ahead of his presentation at the Midwest Primate Interest Group (MPIG) Meeting.

From the 2nd to 3rd October, Tommy attended the 23rd Annual MPIG Meeting at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, where he delivered a podium presentation entitled “Season and social group membership shape the gut microbiome of the northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)”. The meeting was particularly relevant to his PhD research, with gut microbiome studies featuring prominently among the conference presentations. Tommy also had the opportunity to network with fellow academics and primatologists.

The visit and continued collaboration with Prof. Strier will help advance our understanding of the factors shaping gut microbiome composition and variation in this northern muriqui population. Tommy’s visit was supported by the University of Salford Doctoral School Fund and the UK Government’s Turing Scheme, via the University of Salford.

COVERThe golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) depicted here are one of the hundreds of primate types found all over the world. An international team of researchers analyzed the genomes of nonhuman primates from more than 230 different species and demonstrated how these data can help us learn about both nonhuman primate biology and our own health. See the special section beginning on page 904. (Science Jun 2023)

Photo: Guanli Ouyang