Entries by Laura

How a non-industrialized diet affects gut microbes and health, with Dr. Anissa Armet PhD RD

/in Podcast, Season Four

This episode features Dr. Anissa Armet PhD RD from the University of Alberta in Canada, speaking about the impact of diet on both the gut microbiota and overall health. Dr. Armet, a registered dietitian and researcher, says the Western diet along with the associated gut microbiome changes have played a role (amongst other things) in […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Interactions of polyphenols in the gut, with Prof. Yves Desjardins PhD

/in Podcast, Season Four

This episode features Prof. Yves Desjardins PhD from Laval University in Canada. Prof. Desjardins, an agrologist by training, explains that polyphenols are metabolites synthesized by plants and present in the plant foods we consume. When humans consume polyphenols, we absorb a small fraction (around 5%) of them in the upper gastrointestinal tract, but most of […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

The interplay between gut microbiota, diet, and circadian rhythms, with Dr. Vanessa Leone PhD

/in Podcast, Season Four

This episode features Dr. Vanessa Leone PhD from the University of Wisconsin – Madison on how gut microbes and eating patterns impact the host circadian system and overall health. In mouse models, Dr. Leone has found that in a 24-hour period, minor changes occur in the composition of the gut microbiota, while more important changes […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

An overview of precision fermentation, with Prof. William Chen PhD

/in Podcast, Season Four

This episode features Prof. William Chen from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, speaking with the ISAPP hosts about precision fermentation. In Singapore, enhancing national food security is of interest and one of the technologies used to achieve this is precision fermentation. Prof. Chen describes the differences between traditional fermentation, biomass fermentation, and precision fermentation. In […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Precision fermentation for animal-free milk, with Dr. Abigail Thiel PhD

/in Podcast, Season Four

This episode features Dr. Abigail (Abbey) Thiel PhD, who works remotely (from the US) with Wageningen University to manage a project focused on developing animal-free milk proteins using precision fermentation. Dr. Thiel explains that the motivation for the project is to find alternatives to animal-produced foods using microorganisms to produce key components of dairy products. […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Archive Highlight: An evolutionary perspective on fermented foods, with Assoc. Prof. Katie Amato

/in Podcast, Season Four

Continuing in the series on the latest fermented food science, we are highlighting Episode 9 from our archives. In this episode, the ISAPP hosts talk about fermented foods and non-human primates with Katie Amato of Northwestern University, USA. Amato describes what she has learned from studying the gut microbiota of non-human primates and how it […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Fermented foods and their health benefits, with Dr. Paul Cotter PhD

/in Podcast, Season Four

This episode features Dr. Paul Cotter PhD of TEAGASC in Ireland, talking about the creation of fermented foods and how they can lead to health benefits. A huge array of foods can be fermented, and historically fermentation was used to extend the shelf life of a food that people had an abundance of. Dr. Cotter’s […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

How fermented foods can support health and sustainability, with Prof. Christophe Courtin PhD

/in Podcast, Season Four

In this episode, Prof. Christophe Courtin PhD from KU Leuven in Belgium discusses the potential of fermented foods to provide health benefits and create more sustainable food systems. His work focuses in particular on fermenting cereal grains as a way to create products with better properties or enhanced health impact. Fermentation is a form of […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Archive Highlight: The science of fermented foods, part 2, with Prof. Bob Hutkins

/in Podcast, Season Four

Continuing in the series on the latest fermented food science, we are highlighting Episode 3 from our archives. The hosts continue their discussion of fermented foods with Prof. Bob Hutkins, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Prof. Hutkins elaborates on how the microbes associated with fermented foods may confer health benefits, as well as how food […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Archive Highlight: The science of fermented foods, part 1, with Prof. Bob Hutkins

/in Podcast, Season Four

Welcome to the first episode of our new series on the latest fermented food science. We are highlighting Episode 1 from our archives with guest Prof. Bob Hutkins, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Prof. Hutkins wrote a popular textbook on fermented foods and has had a 40-year career in fermentation science. He shares why he […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

2024 highlights in biotic science, with ISAPP’s current and past Presidents

/in Podcast, Season Four

In this episode, ISAPP’s current President Prof. Maria Marco PhD and past President Prof. Dan Merenstein join the podcast hosts for a conversation about highlights in biotic science from the past year. Prof. Marco points out a paper published in Nature Microbiology, the result of an ISAPP discussion group exploring whether diet may be a […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Gut microbes and other drivers of inflammation in Parkinson’s disease, with Prof. Malú Tansey PhD and Dr. Andrea Merchak PhD

/in Podcast, Season Three

This episode features Prof. Malú Tansey PhD and colleague Dr. Andrea Merchak PhD from the University of Florida, USA, discussing neuroinflammation and the role of gut microbes in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. “Inflammaging” tends to occur as aging progresses, but the links that have been made between the gut and the brain […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Using a microbiota-gut-brain axis on a microfluidic chip to gain insights into neurodegenerative diseases, with Prof. Kerensa Broersen PhD

/in Podcast, Season Three

This episode features Prof. Kerensa Broersen PhD from University of Twente in the Netherlands, speaking about using an innovative model of the microbiota-gut-brain axis to learn about neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Prof. Broersen says that while clinical studies are applicable to human health and animal models have great physiological complexity, her lab focuses […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

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

/in Podcast, Season Three

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 […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

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

/in Podcast, Season Three

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. […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

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

/in Podcast, Season Three

  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 […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

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

/in Podcast, Season Three

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 […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

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

/in Podcast, Season Three

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 […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

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

/in Podcast, Season Three

  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 […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

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

/in Podcast, Season Three

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 […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Targeting the rumen microbiota for reduced methane production, with Prof. Alex Hristov PhD

/in Podcast, Season Three

This episode features Prof. Alex Hristov PhD from Penn State University (USA) talking about the microbiota of ruminants and how it can be targeted for reduced methane production. The rumen (pre-stomach area) of cows and other animals contains microorganisms that digest the feed before it enters the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. Hydrogen is produced […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Archive Highlight: Prebiotics for animal health, with Prof. George Fahey

/in Podcast, Season Three

Continuing our series on the role of biotics in animal health, we are highlighting Episode 5 from our archives. This episode features a former ISAPP board member, Prof. George Fahey, giving an overview of animal prebiotic research and describing future opportunities for prebiotics in animal nutrition. Prof. George Fahey is a prominent animal nutrition scientist […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Understanding the gut microbiome in dogs and other pets, with Prof. Jan Suchodolski DACVM PhD

/in Podcast, Season Three

This episode features Prof. Jan Suchodolski DACVM PhD from Texas A&M University, discussing the gut microbiome in dogs and other companion animals as part of our series on the role of biotics in animal health. Prof. Suchodolski’s lab focuses on understanding gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in pets and developing diagnostic tests for research and clinical practice. […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Biotics for agricultural animals, with Prof. Steve Ricke PhD

/in Podcast, Season Three

This episode, part of a series on the role of biotics in animal health, is a broad-ranging conversation on biotics for agricultural animals, with Prof. Steve Ricke PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prof. Ricke explains some of the different applications of biotics for poultry as well as swine and ruminants: rapid growth, efficient use of […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Episode 38: Microbes that break down mucus and milk to benefit the host, with Dr. Clara Belzer PhD

/in Podcast, Season Three

We discuss microbes, mucus, and milk with Dr. Clara Belzer PhD from Wageningen University in the Netherlands in this episode. Dr. Belzer, a molecular geneticist, specializes in studying the microorganisms that are equipped to break down the glycans in mucus and human milk within the host environment. Key topics from this episode: Dr. Belzer’s research […]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS