Entries by KC

New global guidelines for probiotics and prebiotics for gut health and disease

By Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, Executive Science Officer, ISAPP The use of probiotics and prebiotics in the practice of gastroenterology must be guided by evidence – and with new evidence continually emerging, clinicians can benefit from efforts to summarize this evidence and determine how it applies in clinical practice. In February 2023, the World Gastroenterology […]

Supercharging innovation: New session at ISAPP 2023 annual meeting brings industry and student members together to scientific innovation workshop in the field of biotics

Innovation in the biotics field is an important way to address some of our most important challenges in health, and ISAPP is the organization on the forefront of this innovation. This year ISAPP members are excited to debut a new workshop focused on innovation, June 26th at the 2023 ISAPP annual meeting in Denver. For […]

Popular media, misinformation and ‘biotics’

By Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, Executive Science Officer, ISAPP Encountering misinformation is all too easy when seeking understanding of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics (collectively, ‘biotics’). It can be perpetuated both by proponents and detractors. Through this lens, I’m prompted to comment on some high profile pieces making news recently. A Washington Post article Probiotic […]

Are the microbes in fermented foods safe? A microbiologist helps demystify live microbes in foods for consumers

By Dr. Gabriel Vinderola, PhD,  Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering from the National University of Litoral and Principal Researcher from CONICET at the Dairy Products Institute (CONICET-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina. Since very early in my career I was drawn to science communication. I feel that rather than just producing my […]

Probiotic Use in Horses: What is the Evidence?

By Kelly S. Swanson, PhD, The Kraft Heinz Company Endowed Professor in Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA Horses play a special role in many people’s lives, serving as a partner in leisure activities, therapy, various forms of work, and athletic competitions. Being large herbivores, they are adapted to a diet rich in […]

How metabolites help us to understand the effect of gut microbes on health

By Dr. Anisha Wijeyesekera, University of Reading, UK Much literature relating to the gut microbiota has focused on microbial composition (for example, using culture-dependent and -independent molecular biology approaches). Composition is important; knowing which microbes are present in a community enables us to gain insight into population dynamics and how these may be affected by […]

Food of the future: Fermented and sustainable

By Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, ISAPP Executive Science Officer An exciting research initiative at the crossroads of fermented foods and sustainable diets is underway. Funded by the EU and Switzerland, and coordinated by KU Leuven in Belgium, HealthFerm is a 4-year, 13.1 MM € project involving 23 partners from 10 countries. Prof. Christophe Courtin, KU […]

ISAPP appoints new Executive Director to step into leadership role in April 2023

The board of directors of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) is pleased to announce the appointment of ISAPP’s next Executive Director (ED), Marla Cunningham of Brisbane, Australia. Cunningham will assume leadership of the organization April 1, 2023. ISAPP’s current ED, Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, will stay on as Executive Science Officer […]

Scientist investigating links between diet and immune system receives 2023 ISAPP Early Career Researcher Prize

ISAPP is pleased to announce the winner of the 2023 Glenn Gibson Early Career Researcher Prize: Paul Gill, PhD, Research Fellow at University College London, UK. Paul’s work investigates links between diet and the immune system – in particular, how short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) affect immunity in healthy individuals. His research found that fermented foods […]

Definition of postbiotics: A panel debate in Amsterdam

By Dr. Gabriel Vinderola, PhD,  Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering from the National University of Litoral and Principal Researcher from CONICET at the Dairy Products Institute (CONICET-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina. A panel debate titled “Postbiotics, definition and scopes” was convened at the 9th Beneficial Microbes conference in Amsterdam on November […]

Episode 14: Evidence on probiotics for preterm infants

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Evidence on probiotics for preterm […]

Shaping microbial exposures and the immune system in childhood: Can sandboxes be probiotic?

By Prof. Seppo Salminen, University of Turku, Finland Gut microbiota researchers have established that microbial exposures in early life can be influential on health later in life. Children who develop asthma in early childhood, for example, have an altered gut microbiota linked with exposure to less diverse microorganisms in their first year. The ‘biodiversity hypothesis’ […]

Episode 13: The history of ISAPP

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. The history of ISAPP, with […]

Episode 12: Postbiotics and probiotics in Japan: A researcher’s perspective

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Postbiotics and probiotics in Japan: […]

Why researchers need to understand more about the small intestinal microbiome

By Prof. Eamonn M. M. Quigley, MD, The Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell School of Medicine, and Prof. Purna Kashyap, MD, Mayo Clinic The phrase “gut microbiota” properly refers to the microorganisms living throughout the entire digestive tract, including the mouth and the upper digestive tract, through the length of the small intestine as well […]

Episode 11: How to build a satisfying scientific career and make a difference

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. How to build a satisfying […]

Episode 10: How the ISALA project investigates what makes a healthy vaginal microbiome

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. How the ISALA project investigates […]

Are probiotics effective in improving symptoms of constipation?

By Eirini Dimidi, PhD, Lecturer at King’s College London Constipation is a common disorder that affects approximately 8% of the general population and is characterised by symptoms of infrequent or difficult bowel movements (1). People who suffer with constipation often report that it negatively affects their quality of life and the majority use some sort […]

Episode 9: An evolutionary perspective on fermented foods

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. An evolutionary perspective on fermented […]

Can diet shape the effects of probiotics or prebiotics?

By Prof. Maria Marco PhD, University of California – Davis and Prof. Kevin Whelan PhD, King’s College London If you take any probiotic or prebiotic product off the shelf and give it to several different people to consume, you might find that each person experiences a different effect. One person may notice a dramatic reduction […]

Episode 8: The link between digestive symptoms, IBS and the gut microbiota: A gastroenterologist’s perspective

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. The link between digestive symptoms, […]

Episode 7: Evidence for probiotic use in pediatric populations

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Evidence for probiotic use in […]