Developing probiotics for neurodegenerative disease, with Dr. Alex Parker PhD

This episode features Dr. Alex Parker PhD from Université de Montréal talking about models for studying neurodegenerative diseases. His lab makes use of the worm C. elegans, a common model organism for studying disease and aging as it has many genes in common with humans. Focusing on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Dr. Parker makes models […]

Archive Highlight: New evidence on the virome in gut-brain communication and stress, with Nathaniel Ritz and Thomaz Bastiaanssen

Continuing our series on the microbiota-gut-brain axis, we are highlighting Episode 34 from our archives. In this episode, the ISAPP hosts discuss a new study on how the gut virome affects the host during stress, with Nathaniel (Nate) Ritz from the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, USA and Thomaz Bastiaanssen from APC Microbiome Ireland. […]

Planning a Biotics Study? New Publication Recommends Adding Diet as a Variable

By Prof. Maria Marco PhD and Prof. Kevin Whelan PhD In studies on probiotics, prebiotics, and other biotics, the demonstrated health effect may depend on the personal characteristics and habits of the study participants. Take the following scenario: Person A and Person B consume the same prebiotic supplement. Person A typically eats a Mediterranean-style diet, […]

Archive Highlight: The role of microbes in gut-brain communication, with Prof. Emeran Mayer MD

  Continuing our series on the microbiota-gut-brain axis, we are highlighting Episode 26 from our archives. In this episode, ISAPP podcast host Prof. Dan Tancredi PhD welcomes guest Prof. Emeran Mayer MD, a gastroenterologist and researcher at University of California Los Angeles. They talk about the microbiota-gut-brain axis, covering its evolutionary origins and how this […]

ISAPP Board Member Prof. Dan Merenstein MD Elected to National Academy of Medicine

A longtime ISAPP board member, Prof. Dan Merenstein MD of Georgetown University School of Medicine, has received a prestigious honor: election to the US National Academy of Medicine. With this recognition, Prof. Merenstein joins an elite group of fewer than 100 American scientists, doctors and other professionals selected each year for exceptional achievements in medicine […]

How the maternal microbiome influences offspring neurodevelopment, with Dr. Eldin Jašarević PhD

This episode features Dr. Eldin Jašarević PhD from University of Pittsburgh discussing research that investigates how maternal signals influence the general development and neurodevelopment of the offspring. Dr. Jašarević’s particular interest in this field stems from his family’s journey as refugees from Bosnia who found their way to the US. His lab studies how maternal […]

How do we know if a microbe is dead?

By Prof. Maria Marco PhD, University of California, Davis “Kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.” This percentage and others like it are frequently found on disinfectant labels. Ideally, the microbicidal effect of the product is sufficient to kill more than the numbers of the target pathogen or pathogens expected to be in the environment where […]

Fiber and short-chain fatty acids for cognitive health, with Dr. Boushra Dalile PhD

This episode features Dr. Boushra Dalile PhD from KU Leuven in Belgium – ISAPP’s 2024 Glenn Gibson Early Career Researcher Award winner – discussing the protective role of fiber and prebiotics on cognitive health. Dr. Dalile is trained in psychology, and in her current work she undertakes human intervention studies to examine the effects of […]

Archive Highlight: Biotics in animal and human nutrition, with Prof. Kelly Swanson PhD

  Completing our series on the role of biotics in animal health, we are highlighting Episode 22 from our archives. In this episode, Prof. Kelly Swanson PhD from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign discusses the role of biotics in animal and human nutrition. He reviews the criteria for prebiotics and synbiotics, then discusses how we […]

Developing probiotics to prevent white nose syndrome in bats, with Prof. Ann Cheeptham PhD

This episode features Prof. Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham, a cave microbiologist from Thompson Rivers University (Canada), speaking about a fungal infection in bats that causes white nose syndrome. She and her collaborators are looking at the microbiomes of the bats and their environments for possible ways to prevent this serious infection. White nose syndrome is caused […]