Entries by Mary Ellen Sanders

“A healthy woman, a healthy baby, a healthy generation” lessons learned from the 4th Annual Women and their Microbes Conference

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By Dr. Mariya Petrova, Microbiome insights and Probiotics Consultancy, Bulgaria The 4th annual Women and their Microbes conference took place at the beginning of March celebrating the International Women’s day. The first-ever conference outside Europe in Hamilton, Canada brought together top scientists to discuss the importance of women’s health through the prism of women’s specific […]

University confers Distinguished University Professor status on ISAPP board of directors member Gregor Reid

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ISAPP board of directors member Dr. Gregor Reid has received a Distinguished University Professorship (DUP) award from his institution, University of Western Ontario in Canada, in honour of his exceptional scholarly career achievements. Reid, a Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, and Surgery, was aptly described as ‘a Canadian and international pioneer’ in research related to […]

Reading, writing, and making an impact

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Bob Hutkins, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Food Science and Technology and Leslie Delserone, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University Libraries For scientists who study probiotics and prebiotics, these are exciting times.  Every day, there are new discoveries and new opportunities.  There certainly are many challenges – obtaining grants, recruiting and mentoring students and postdocs, editorial duties, […]

Probiotics: Money Well-Spent For Some Indications

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Eamonn M M Quigley MD, Houston Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, Texas, USA; Hania Szajewska MD, The Medical Univesrity of Warsaw, Department of Paediatrics, Poland; Dan Merenstein MD, Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University We read with interest and some concern the Medical News and Perspectives article by Jennifer Abbasi titled “Are […]

New ISAPP video gives an overview of fermented foods and their health benefits

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Fermented foods are not the same as probiotic-containing foods. So what’s the difference? Do both of them confer the same health benefits? These topics are addressed in ISAPP’s latest video, which takes viewers through the scientific basics of fermented foods (see here). Yogurt, kimchi, and cheese fall into this category of foods, which are transformed […]

Challenges ahead in the probiotic field – insights from Probiota2019

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By Dr. Mariya Petrova, Microbiome insights and Probiotics Consultancy (MiP Consultancy), Bulgaria. Recently, I attended the Probiota Conference, which brings together representatives from industry and academia on the topic of probiotics and related fields. The goal of many of the speakers at the conference was to provide insight about how to translate scientific discoveries for, […]

ISAPP releases new video providing clarity on prebiotics and their health benefits

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Consumers often assume prebiotics are the same as dietary fibers—but in fact, prebiotics have a specific scientific definition and come with unique health benefits. In this new video produced by ISAPP (see here), you’ll get a quick overview of prebiotics: what they are, different ways you can consume them, and their scientifically demonstrated health benefits. […]

Limitations of microbiome measurement: Prof. Gloor shares insights with ISAPP

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February 20, 2019 The number of papers published on the human microbiome is growing exponentially – but not all of the studies are equally well designed or reported. Evaluating the latest research requires a basic understanding of the latest approaches to microbiome methods and data analysis. To help equip scientists not conducting microbiome research with […]

The Children of Masiphumelele Township

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Gregor Reid PhD MBA FCAHS FRSC, Professor, Western University and Scientist, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Canada Just off the main road from Cape Town, South Africa to Simon’s Town, sits Masiphumelele township where challenges of poverty, malnutrition, HIV and the risk of violence face people every day. It is also the location for the […]

Prof. Maria Marco joins the ISAPP board of directors

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ISAPP happily announces that Prof. Maria Marco Ph.D. from the Department of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis has joined the ISAPP board of directors. Prof. Marco has broad expertise in probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented foods. She has a special interest in lactic acid bacteria (from plant and animal sources) and the mechanisms of […]

ISAPP’s prebiotics & probiotics infographic now available in Russian

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‘International’ is the first word in ISAPP’s title—and the organization takes seriously its commitment to advancing education about probiotics and prebiotics in countries around the world. ISAPP members are happy to announce that the infographic “Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on our Microbiota” is now available in Russian. See here. In an effort to reach […]

Humpty Dumpty and the Microbiome

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Prof. Colin Hill, Microbiology Department and Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Ireland (@colinhillucc) “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” Microbiome science is an evolving discipline, and new terminology is an important part of any developing […]

Late initiation of probiotic therapy for acute pediatric gastroenteritis may account for null results

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Francisco Guarner, MD, PhD, University Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Michael Cabana, MD, MPH, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; and Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, Centennial, CO, USA.  Schnadower et al (1) and Freedman et al (2) conclude that probiotics given to children who presented to emergency departments with gastroenteritis are not […]

Importance of understanding probiotic mechanisms of action

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By Prof. Sarah Lebeer, Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium At present, we do not fully understand the mechanistic basis of many well established probiotic health benefits. This limits our ability to predict which probiotics are likely to be effective. For instance, prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and necrotizing enterocolitis are health benefits that are well substantiated by meta-analyses, […]

ISAPP recognizes Prof. Michael Cabana’s contributions during his board of directors tenure

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Prof. Michael Cabana’s service on ISAPP’s board of directors has come to an end in 2018—and the remaining board members wish to affirm his rich legacy of contributions, which furthered ISAPP’s mission of advancing the science of probiotics and prebiotics. Dr. Cabana, Professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Director of the Division of […]

Prof. Hania Szajewska joins the ISAPP board of directors

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ISAPP is pleased to announce that Prof. Hania Szajewska MD from the Department of Paediatrics of The Medical University of Warsaw has joined the ISAPP board of directors. Prof. Szajewska’s depth and breadth of experience in probiotics, prebiotics, and the effects of early dietary interventions on long term health will greatly facilitate ISAPP’s ability to fulfill its […]

ISAPP plans consensus panel on synbiotics

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The term ‘synbiotic’ – which refers to a substance that combines both a probiotic and prebiotic – lacks a concise, modern definition. Stakeholders, including researchers, regulatory experts, consumers, marketers, industry scientists and healthcare providers, would benefit from a clear definition of synbiotics, a concise review of the state of the science of synbiotics, and a […]

I have IBS – should I have my microbiome tested?

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By Prof.  Eamonn Quigley, MD. The Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell School of Medicine, Houston I am a gastroenterologist and specialize in what is referred to as “neurogastroenterology” – a rather grandiose term to refer to those problems that arise from disturbances in the muscles or nerves of the gut or in the communications between […]

ISAPP’s 2019 Annual Meeting Program Released

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ISAPP is pleased to announce the release of the official program for its 2019 Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 14-16, 2019, in Antwerp. Unlike the 2018 ISAPP meeting in Singapore, which was an open registration meeting, the 2019 event will comprise only invited academic experts and industry scientists from member companies. For program details, see […]

Probiotics in the Year 2018

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Prof. Daniel Merenstein MD, Georgetown University School of Medicine Messages about probiotics seem to be everywhere. It is difficult for me to keep up with the emails, links, and stories I am sent by friends and colleagues. I am regularly asked my opinion about new studies. Null trials seem to really generate the most interest, […]

ISAPP Releases a Mission-Based Summary of 2018 Activities

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The mission of ISAPP is to advance scientific excellence in probiotics and prebiotics. ISAPP is an independent, science-based voice for the probiotic and prebiotic fields. The newly released short summary details ISAPP’s accomplishments in 2018 based around the core value of Stewardship, Advancing the Science, and Education. See here for the summary, also featuring ISAPP’s recent publications. […]

YOGURITO –the Argentinian social program with a special yogurt

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Dra. María Pía Taranto, CERELA-CONICET, Argentina and Prof. Seppo Salminen PhD, University of Turku, Finland It is widely accepted that technologies play a central role in the processes of social change. The Argentinian experience has documented that yogurt can be a promising tool for promoting social development.  The program is called “Scholar Yogurito, the social […]

Conference Focusing on the Microbiome in Women

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By Prof. Gregor Reid, University of Western Ontario It started with an idea for a mini symposium as an add-on to the PhD defence of Jessica Younes in 2015. It would be an event that focused on the impact of microbes on women’s health. It had never been done before. Held in Artis, the Amsterdam […]