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Gut microbiota development in preterm and non-preterm infants, with Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta PhD
This episode features Dr. Marie-Claire Arrieta PhD from the University of Calgary (Canada), speaking about development of the early life gut microbiome, both in preterm and non-preterm infants. Across the field, it has been established that the early days and months of an infant’s life are very determinant of immune system development as well as… -
The ISAPP Consensus Statement on Gut Health
Gut health is defined as a state of normal gastrointestinal function without active gastrointestinal disease and gut-related symptoms that affect quality of life. -
Understanding Gut Health
Why is gut health important, how do we know if we have good gut health and how can we improve it? -
Toward skin microbiome interventions for anti-aging and wound healing, with Prof. Hariom Yadav PhD
This episode features Prof. Hariom Yadav PhD, from the University of South Florida (USA), speaking about the skin microbiome and potential interventions for anti-aging and wound healing. Prof. Yadav noted that humans have a stable (core) microbiome on the surface of skin cells, plus a transient microbiome that depends on recent exposures. The skin microbiome… -
Alcohol in fermented foods: Considerations for pregnancy and childhood
Typical health recommendations advise not consuming alcohol during pregnancy or during childhood up to the age of 18. Yet some fermented foods contain alcohol. What does the science reveal about resolving this contradiction? -
The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of gut health
A panel of experts evaluated the term gut health in the context of the central role of the gastrointestinal tract in health and overall well-being and proposed a definition of gut health as “a state of normal gastrointestinal function without active gastrointestinal disease and gut-related symptoms that affect quality of life”. -
Fido Needs an Antibiotic: Are There Strategies to Maintain Gut Integrity and Restore Gut Microbiota?
Despite their risks and complications, antimicrobials have their role in managing canine diarrhea and gastrointestinal enteropathies. So, what can be done to minimize the negative effects that they have on stool quality and microbial disruption? -
ISAPP’s scientific consensus definition of gut health
Gut health is a commonly used term that previously had no scientific definition. In the paper, the group defines gut health as: “a state of normal gastrointestinal function without active gastrointestinal disease and gut-related symptoms that affect quality of life”. -
How do you know whether your gut microbiome is in good shape?
Scientists know gut microorganisms were interconnected with gut health and overall health in multiple ways. But how do you know if you have a healthy microbiome? Today, we not only know which microbes are there, but we’ve also learned a lot about what they do, and how they influence our digestion, immunity and even mental health. -
Canada’s Fermented Foods Initiative Hosts Inaugural Workshop: A Cross-Sector Conversation Begins
Toronto hosted the inaugural workshop of the Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative (CFFI), a new effort designed to support and advance research, education and innovation on fermented foods in Canada. -
2026 Sanders Award for Advancing Biotic Science Given to Prof. David Mills of UC Davis
The ISAPP board of directors is pleased to announce the selection of the winner of the 2026 Sanders Award for Advancing Biotic Science: Prof. David Mills PhD, a Distinguished Professor and researcher at University of California, Davis, USA. -
2025 highlights in biotic science
This special year-end episode, which covers 2025’s highlights in biotic science, features three of the academic scientists who serve on the ISAPP board of directors: Prof. Maria Marco PhD from University of California, Davis (USA), Prof. Sarah Lebeer PhD from University of Antwerp (Belgium), and Dr. Gabriel Vinderola PhD from National University of Litoral (Argentina)…. -
What happens when you eat fiber, and why you should eat more
In recent years much research has been done determining that the products of a healthy gut microbiota also have health benefits way beyond the gut. -
Trials on probiotics and prebiotics in infant formula, with Prof. Yvan Vandenplas MD PhD
This episode features Prof. Yvan Vandenplas MD PhD from the University Hospital Brussels and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium), speaking about the science on probiotics and prebiotics in infant formula. Over the past 20 years in this field, awareness of the importance of the gastrointestinal microbiota has grown, and biotics have been employed to try to… -
Dietary management of chronic constipation, with Dr. Eirini Dimidi PhD RD
This episode features Dr. Eirini Dimidi PhD RD from King’s College London (UK), speaking about the recently published British Dietetic Association’s guidelines for dietary management of chronic constipation. Constipation can be a major concern for patients, but evidence around some of the most common dietary recommendations for addressing it has remained unclear. After a thorough… -
Emerging clinical insights into C. difficile infection from gut microbiota research
In recent years the clinical status and spectrum of C. difficile infection have shifted. The prevalence of this infection has risen sharply. Along with changes that have occurred in the clinical patterns of this disorder, research on the gut microbiome has provided insights into the important factors that contribute to the infection. -
How ecological dynamics affect pathogens in the gut, with Prof. Kevin Foster PhD
This episode features Prof. Kevin Foster PhD from University of Oxford (UK), speaking about his lab’s ecological approach to the gut microbiome and efforts to understand and predict dynamics of different species in the microbiome. They also focus on how these ecological dynamics map onto health outcomes, and how they inform interventions. In a 2023… -
Insights from evolutionary ecology on microbiome assembly and modulation, with Prof. Jens Walter PhD
This episode features Prof. Jens Walter PhD, a microbial ecologist from University College Cork / APC Microbiome Ireland, explaining how he applies ecological and evolutionary frameworks for the purposes of understanding and modulating microbiomes. Although there appears to be a high amount of stochasticity (or randomness) in microbiomes, stochastic and deterministic elements work together to… -
Insights into healthy aging: A story as told by gut microbiome (and other) metabolites
Metabolites, including those derived from the gut microbiome, offer a window into the complex biology of aging. They reflect not just how we live, but how well our bodies are adapting to the passage of time. -
Highlighted Talks from the 2025 ISAPP Annual Meeting
In this special episode, ISAPP’s Executive Director Marla Cunningham highlights ISAPP’s annual meeting, held in Banff, Canada in July 2025. Four speakers join the podcast to describe their talks from the meeting: Episode abbreviations and links: About our speakers: Carolina Tropini, University of British Columbia, Canada Dr. Carolina Tropini is an Assistant Professor at the… -
ISAPP welcomes two new scientists to its board of directors
The ISAPP board of directors is pleased to welcome two prominent scientists and frequent ISAPP collaborators to its ranks: Prof…. -
Unraveling the functions of GLP-1 in the gut, with Dr. Thomas Greiner PhD
This episode features Dr. Thomas Greiner PhD from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), speaking about the various functions of GLP-1 in the gut, and the role of gut microbes in GLP-1 production, with ultimate effects on host health. He noted that GLP-1 is produced by enteroendocrine cells called L-cells, both in the small intestine and… -
Archive Highlight: Microbes that break down mucus and milk to benefit the host, with Dr. Clara Belzer PhD
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: Episode abbreviations and links: About… -
Investigating the microbial mechanisms contributing to host metabolism, with Dr. Amir Zarrinpar, MD PhD
This episode features Dr. Amir Zarrinpar, MD PhD, from UC San Diego (USA) speaking about his work on circadian biology and host metabolism, and what’s currently known about microbial mechanisms. Dr. Zarrinpar explains that in mouse models, restricting feeding to the nocturnal (awake) period is important for their metabolic and overall health. When mice eat… -
Microbiome endpoints in clinical trials for biotics – where do we stand and what have we learnt?
I’m sure you’ve read the results of trials similar to these (fictional) conclusions: ‘Our findings showed an increase in Faecalibacterium and Enterococcus, two… -
Interactions between immunity, gut microbiota, and metabolism, with Prof. Dirk Haller PhD
This episode features Prof. Dirk Haller from Technical University of Munich (Germany) speaking about his work in the field of nutritional immunology, trying to unravel how immunity and gut microbiota interact with metabolism, ultimately impacting the emergence of chronic diseases. He focuses on how microbe-host interactions in the gut impact inflammatory or tumorigenic responses –… -
Examining fermented foods for potential cardiometabolic health benefits, with Prof. Ben Willing PhD
This episode features Prof. Ben Willing PhD from the University of Alberta, Canada, speaking about his work investigating fermented foods such as kefir for potential cardiometabolic health benefits. The microorganisms associated with fermented foods are not standardized – for example, traditional kefirs have some microorganisms in common, but other microorganisms that are present sporadically. Moreover, kefir… -
Diet and gut microbiome contributions to host energy balance, with Dr. Karen Corbin PhD RD
This episode features Dr. Karen Corbin PhD RD from AdventHealth Translational Research Institute (USA), speaking about how the triad of diet, gut microbiome, and host characteristics contribute to energy balance as well as metabolic diseases. From the perspective of host physiology, she explores how to use diet to remodel the gut microbiome to impact energy… -
Progress in understanding the gut microbiome’s role in health and disease states, with Prof. Emad El-Omar MD FRCP
This episode features Prof. Emad El-Omar MD FRCP from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, speaking about a recent paper exploring the healthy microbiome concept, as well as the latest research on how the gut microbiome contributes to the pathophysiology of several diseases. Prof. El-Omar talked about research on H. pylori-induced disease in… -
The HACK index for measuring a health-associated gut microbiome, with Dr. Tarini Ghosh PhD
This episode features computational microbiologist Dr. Tarini Ghosh PhD from Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (Delhi, India) speaking about his recently published paper that proposes a novel Health-Associated Core Keystone (HACK) index for measuring a healthy microbiome. To create the index, the group used a huge volume of sequence data – over 201 terabytes –… -
Five points to know about biotics for animals, from an ISAPP-led paper
A group of animal health experts, comprising academic and industry member scientists convening at the 2023 ISAPP annual meeting, reviewed the evidence on biotics for animals, outlining what’s known to date and the likely future directions in this scientific field. -
Advancing gut microbiome testing for use in clinical practice, with Dr. Gianluca Ianiro MD PhD
In this episode, Dr. Gianluca Ianiro MD PhD speaks about how to advance gut microbiome testing for use in medicine.
