We are investigating how the starch from pulse crops (chickpeas, lentils and dry peas) affects the gut microbiome, particularly with regards to the production of butyrate, a microbial metabolite with a number of known health benefits. We are recruiting people from two groups, those that consume a lot of these pulses and those who rarely consume them. These participants will then track their food intake for 48 hours before collecting a fecal sample which they will return to the lab. We will then use these fecal samples to conduct laboratory fermentations with pulse starches processed in a number of different ways to see what factors are important for determining the amount of butyrate that is produced. This will serve as pilot data for designing future human clinical trials.