Dutch Microbiologist Passionate About Biotics Applications & Public Outreach Receives ISAPP’s 2025 Sanders Award for Advancing Biotic Science
The ISAPP board of directors is thrilled to announce the winner of the 2nd Sanders Award for Advancing Biotic Science: Prof. Remco Kort PhD, a researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Prof. Kort also currently serves as Chair of ARTIS-Micropia museum, and is the co-founder and Chair of the nonprofit Yoba for Life Foundation.
A microbiologist focused on understanding the human microbiome and its impact on health, Prof. Kort has participated in research on numerous topics, including lactic acid bacteria in food fermentation, probiotic interventions targeting immunity and women’s health, and the impact of microorganisms in planetary health. His lab primarily focuses on next-generation probiotic interventions for vaginal and gut health and currently has large nutritional trials underway on the effects of fibers and fermented foods on depression and overall health. He is author of more than 100 scientific publications.
Since the beginning of his 30-year scientific career, Prof. Kort has engaged in efforts to increase the real-world impact of scientific studies and create social change. One of the major initiatives co-founded by Prof. Kort is the Yoba for Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works with partners in low-and low-middle income countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia to supply bacterial starter cultures for the production of yogurt. Local dairy producers are supported with education and supplies to create their own yogurt-selling businesses as a source of income. Currently the Foundation has 20 local field staff members, three local country coordinators, and one regional coordinator, who support hundreds of yogurt producers in these East African countries. A number of studies have demonstrated that the program improves nutritional outcomes and creates sustainable income opportunities for local communities.
Closer to home, Prof. Kort worked for a period of 8 years on the co-development Amsterdam’s innovative museum of microorganisms called Micropia, which opened its doors ten years ago. This educational initiative has received worldwide acclaim for helping the general public gain a better appreciation for microbiology and its real-world applications. Notably, Prof. Kort’s research on bacterial transfer during intimate kissing, published shortly after the museum’s launch, inspired the content of the museum’s renowned kiss-o-meter exhibit. The study became one of the most media-cited scientific papers of 2015, as highlighted by the journal Nature.
Meanwhile, Prof. Kort has received several awards for his publications and outreach. By tirelessly working to increase public interest in microorganisms and create applications that impact health, Prof. Kort continues to advance the science of biotics and the microbiome in ways that will have global impact for years to come. In the near future, Prof. Kort will work on the development of a novel microbiome exhibit in ARTIS-Micropia, allowing visitors to assess effects of lifestyle changes on the gut microbiome. In addition, he will carry out research on the beneficial effects of a recently-developed novel fermented food product.
The Sanders Award for Advancing Biotic Science was established in 2023, funded by generous contributions of ISAPP community members, to honor the work of ISAPP’s founding President and Executive Science Officer, Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders PhD. This annual award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the scientific fields of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, fermented foods, or the microbiome. Prof. Kort was selected as this year’s winner by the 2025 award committee, which included ISAPP board members, an industry member representative, and Dr. Sanders. Prof. Kort will receive a cash award and will speak at the ISAPP annual meeting in July, 2025.
