Metabolic syndrome is a condition comprising a combination of metabolic disorders such as obesity, dyslipidemia (imbalances in fatty acid levels), hyperglycemia (too much glucose in the blood), and hypertension. Metabolic syndrome affects more than 30% of US adults and having it increases the risk of other diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease...

Continue reading

Wow, how time flies! It’s already been over two weeks since I attended Global Engage’s microbiome and probiotics conference. The two-day event was packed with riveting talks and bountiful networking opportunities. Amid a sea of talks and discussions, a massive deluge of updates in microbiome, probiotics, and live biotherapeutic product (LBP) R&D stood in the...

Continue reading

The human gut microbiome comprises a community of microbes that changes over time and impact health in many ways. But where do these microbes come from? The prevailing hypothesis is that the mother plays an important role. Whether the transfer occurs in the uterus, continuously during and after birth, or both remains under debate. Nevertheless,...

Continue reading

Fermented foods have been an integral component of human diets since ancient times. These foods contained live microorganisms, some of which were developed as probiotics to confer human health benefits when ingested in sufficient quantities. However, probiotics aren’t the only way to promote human health. As I discussed in my previous blog post, prebiotics are...

Continue reading

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the process where fecal matter is administered as a liquid solution from a donor to a recipient’s gut. While FMT is being tested as a treatment option for a wide range of gut diseases, the regimen was first used to treat Clostridium difficile gut infections. Gut infections by this pathogen...

Continue reading

The banner say it all! I’m going to attend the 10th Microbiome & 7th Probiotics R&D & Business Collaboration Forum! During this 2-day conference, I will be a VIP guest, soaking in the knowledge of the pioneers of probiotic research and development (R&D). I’ll be attending as many talks as I can, taking in the...

Continue reading

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, the term “human microbiome” generated a lot of buzz across mainstream media and the academic sphere. Throughout the 2010s, articles like this one from National Geographic and this one from Forbes have highlighted the rise of human microbiome research to better treat a host of human diseases. Amid the talk...

Continue reading

COVID-19 has dominated the global discourse for viral disease. However, a group of researchers based in Europe found a new variant of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Called HIV-B, this variant has so far infected 17 patients participating in the BEEHIVE study1: 15 in the Netherlands, 1 in Switzerland, and 1 in Belgium. The BEEHIVE study investigates what genes in HIV make AIDS worse for patients. The patients enrolled in BEEHIVE are also part of…

Continue reading

Microbial cultures and human cultures are not the same When you think of the word “culture”, what’s the first word that comes to mind? We can discuss a workplace culture where employees and employers share common attitudes and values about a company’s work and vision. We can also talk about the culture of a nation or ethnicity based on their shared artistic works and achievements. These definitions of culture focus on identifying common traits between…

Continue reading