Future of the Microbiome Summit Co-Chairs Nathan Gray and Len Monheit will welcome everyone and provide an update on the conference.
We care for more than 200 thousand exhibits spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million way visitors annually. We care for more than 200 thousand exhibits spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million way visitors annually.We care for more than 200 thousand exhibits spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million way visitors annually.
We care for more than 200 thousand exhibits spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million way visitors annually. We care for more than 200 thousand exhibits spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million way visitors annually.We care for more than 200 thousand exhibits spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million way visitors annually.
Co-Chairs Nathan Gray and Len Monheit will provide an overview of the Summit and share some market insights on this exploding category.
The gut microbiome is shaped by diet and influences host metabolism; however, these links are complex and can be unique to each individual. We performed deep metagenomic sequencing of 1,203 gut microbiomes from 1,098 individuals enrolled in the Personalised Responses to Dietary Composition Trial (PREDICT 1) study, whose detailed long-term diet information, as well as hundreds of fasting and same-meal postprandial cardiometabolic blood marker measurements were available. We found many significant associations between microbes and specific nutrients, foods, food groups and general dietary indices, which were driven especially by the presence and diversity of healthy and plant-based foods. Microbial biomarkers of obesity were reproducible across external publicly available cohorts and in agreement with circulating blood metabolites that are indicators of cardiovascular disease risk. While some microbes, such as Prevotella copri and Blastocystis spp., were indicators of favorable postprandial glucose metabolism, overall microbiome composition was predictive for a large panel of cardiometabolic blood markers including fasting and postprandial glycemic, lipemic and inflammatory indices. The panel of intestinal species associated with healthy dietary habits overlapped with those associated with favorable cardiometabolic and postprandial markers, indicating that our large-scale resource can potentially stratify the gut microbiome into generalizable health levels in individuals without clinically manifest disease.
Research on bacteriophages and their role in the balance of the gut microbiome is accelerating, as evidenced by the recent publication of the Gut Phage Database, created by the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the EMBL-EBI. This presentation will highlight the novel prebiotic characteristics of phage, detailing its ability to selectively enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria over unwanted species, along with support from published clinical data showing statistically significant increases in short chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, immune health benefits and more.
Initial colonization of the gut by pioneer bacterial species is the first key step for host well-being. The process of initial gut microbiota colonization in preterm babies is radically interrupted due to a variety of factors including mode of delivery and antibiotics. This aberrant colonization of premature infants appears pivotal to the development of a number of diseases, including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which is linked to the overgrowth of opportunistic pathogens. Hall will discuss how the use of long-read real-time DNA sequencing platforms and the development of new analysis tools can be used for rapid preterm microbiota profiling and diagnosis of pathogenic NEC-associated bacteria.
Whether pre-term or full-term, the infant gut microbiome begins to be populated by opportunistic microbes at birth. Oligosaccharides in human milk (HMO) represent a specialized nutritional source for beneficial bacteria including B. infantis that help prevent colonization by opportunistic pathogens. Through the unintended consequences of repeated antibiotic use, this key protective organism has been lost in most high-income nations. This Infant Gut Deficiency (IGD) is associated with chronic enteric inflammation that elevates the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis in preterm infants, and autoimmune conditions such as eczema, food allergy, asthma, and Type 1 Diabetes later in life. Infants reconstituted with this natural symbiosis from the first days of life have significantly reduced enteric inflammation. A healthy microbiome needs to be defined on a holistic basis, understanding the beneficial services it is providing to the human host.
Americans – and those consuming Western diets broadly – consume approximately half of their daily recommended dietary fiber, which is associated with increases in chronic disease burdens. However, dietary fiber, as a category, is a diverse mix of different plant polysaccharide structures that may exert different influences on gut ecology. In this talk, I will consider how differences in fine fiber structure differentially alter gut microbiome structure and function, and how these effects might influence efforts to use these fibers both at population and precision scales.
Prebiotic research is now uncovering the importance of selectivity for optimum benefit. In other words, prebiotics that target and feed specific microbial species in the gut can translate to an array of systemic benefits. We will discuss precision prebiotics and their synergies in gut re-composition and how that translates to larger health benefits.
Please note this is a LIVE only session and will not be available on demand. Participants are encouraged to turn on their cameras and participate in the discussion. This requires a separate sign-up. Please click here or the button below to register.
This interactive session explores the prospective applications of bacteriophage in products for microbiome support, and the realities of bringing such a product to the marketplace. Join the conversation to learn more about the regulatory status and proper positioning of bacteriophage as a prebiotic ingredient in nutritional supplement and functional food products.
Thank you Champion Sponsor Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes for underwriting this roundtable.
This session does require a separate registration. Please click here or the button below to register.
Co-Chair Len Monheit will provide a brief recap of day 1 and provide an overview for day 2.
Science is continuously evolving in this space and it can be a challenge to incorporate the right ingredients in efficacious doses and produce products that will survive through the end of shelf life. In this case study demonstrating the real connection between an ingredient company and manufacturer, Dr. Budinoff from IFF will share their approach to strain discovery, development and substantiation, and Mark Wright from Health Wright products will provide the practical considerations and questions you should be asking of your contract manufacturing partner.
Thank you Premier Sponsor Health Wright Products for underwriting this session.
In the last five years, the microbiome has broken free of being siloed impacting everything from food & beverage to personalization. Come learn what key trends are shaping commercialization, will microbiome-based solutions continue to be standalone concepts & potential adjacent sectors that could disrupt the microbiome industry.
The human gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem, which contributes essential functions to human physiology. Changes to the microbiome are associated with several chronic diseases characterized by inflammation, including neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. Microbiome-derived molecules comprising nucleic acids, (poly)peptides and metabolites are present at high levels in the gut and interface with human physiology including along the gut-brain axis. However, these have so far eluded systematic study. I will discuss how integrated multi-omic analyses combined with human organ-on-chip systems can be leveraged to shine light on this molecular “dark matter” with potential for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications in neurological disease, in particular Parkinson's disease.
Thank you to Champion Sponsor AIDP for underwriting this session.
Postbiotics are functional units of the microbiome that impact host health, and are generally defined as the end products of microbiome – the true active metabolites/end products. However, here, we will specifically talk about the fact that some good bugs in our gut are worthy even when they are dead, since their cellular ingredients can improve host health.
From the lab to the boardroom, the concept of personalization in food and health has been one of the hottest topics to be discussed – and hyped – for many years. Yet when it comes to the microbiome, it seems conversations often focus solely on microbiome testing services. In this session, we look beyond testing, to discuss how wider approaches to personalization can play a bigger role in the microbiome space, in addition to looking at how cutting-edge population data can help inform more personalized approaches to science, business, and public health.
Manufacturing products in this space isn’t simple. It takes expertise and specialization. During this roundtable, experts from Health Wright Products will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities in producing viable products and the questions you need to ask your contract manufacturer to ensure a quality product that meets label claim - every time.
Roundtable Hosts: Scott Steinford, CEO, Health Wright Products and Sarah Jameson, Chief Quality Officer, Health Wright Products.
Please note this is a LIVE only session and will not be available on demand. Participants are encouraged to turn on their cameras and participate in the discussion. This requires a separate sign-up. Please click here or the button below to register.
In the last five years, the microbiome has broken free of being siloed impacting everything from food & beverage to personalization. Come learn what key trends are shaping commercialization, will microbiome-based solutions continue to be standalone concepts & potential adjacent sectors that could disrupt the microbiome industry.
Hosted by: Noah Voreades, GenBiome Consulting
Please note this is a LIVE only session and will not be available on demand. Participants are encouraged to turn on their cameras and participate in the discussion. This requires a separate sign-up. Please click here or the button below to register.
Co-Chair Nathan Gray will recap Day 2 and set the stage for the final day of the Summit.
Drug–microbe interactions are still understudied in the clinical context. Chemical compounds present in drugs or their metabolites can impact microbial composition in the gut and impair their functional contributions to the host. On the other hand, the microbiome plays a clinically relevant role in drug disposition. Pharmacomicrobiomics seeks to understand how inter-individual variations in the microbiome shape drug efficacy and side effect profiles. Multiple bacterial species, genes, and enzymes have been implicated in the biotransformation of drugs.
There are well-established scientific links between our microbiota and significant health conditions including obesity, autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, and even cancer. Having been focused on nutrition for so long, many in the microbiome space have spent recent years exploring the potential of therapeutics – creating breakthrough drugs and pharmaceuticals that modulate the microbiome for positive clinical effects.
The commercial and regulatory roadmap for microbiome therapies – and especially LBPs – provides multiple challenges and opportunities for those in the space. In this session, we explore the approaches companies are taking to commercialize microbiome therapeutics.
There has never been a better time to launch a microbiome-focused start-up. Yet for those looking to start a new business, or to commercialize exciting new research, a multitude of challenges remain. From simply knowing ‘where to begin’, to learning about IP and patents, understanding the commercial environment, looking for the right partners, developing your business plan, and securing that all important investment. This session brings together a stellar cast of experts to share their knowledge and experiences in the area – providing useful case studies and tips on turning great science into a great business.
Prebiotics have become the new darling of the microbiome space. During this roundtable, insights will be shared on the market opportunity, the need for appropriate substantiation, and participants will discuss how to make the space grow responsibly.
Table Host: Len Monheit, Executive Director, Global Prebiotic Association
Please note this is a LIVE only session and will not be available on demand. Participants are encouraged to turn on their cameras and participate in the discussion. This requires a separate sign-up. Please click here or the button below to register.
Finding the right innovation partners can be tough. Many start-ups are caught in a catch-22; knowing they need the help of an accelerator to guide them in strategy and help them secure investment, but needing to pitch and often give away equity to do so. This roundtable looks at the challenges faced by those looking to innovate and partner in the microbiome space, and leverages experiences from Johnson & Johnson Innovations JLABS platform to showcase innovative solutions to these problems.
Table Host: Kara Bortone, JLABS and Nathan Gray, Nutraceutic
Please note this is a LIVE only session and will not be available on demand. Participants are encouraged to turn on their cameras and participate in the discussion. This requires a separate sign-up. Please click here or the button below to register.