The Microbiome Mavericks

The Microbiome Mavericks

By Dr. Amine ZorganiScience
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The Microbiome Mavericks episodes

  • Why Prebiotic Whole Foods May Be the Missing Health Link – David Istier @Gutzy

    Hello and Welcome to the Microbiome Maverick Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine Zorgani, a microbiome expert on a mission to prevent the human microbiome from extinction!

    Today, I have the pleasure of speaking to David Istier, founder of Gutsy, about the important role of prebiotics for gut and overall health. My first key takeaway is that prebiotics offer an accessible way to improve health. While found naturally in fruits, veggies, and other plant foods, most Americans fall short of getting enough. David started Gutsy to provide an easy prebiotic snack to help bridge nutritional gaps.

    Additionally, not all prebiotics are the same. Gutsy focuses on organic acacia fiber which research shows selectively feeds good bacteria. Acacia also supports digestive health, immunity, energy levels, and more. It's a simple change that can yield real benefits.

    Finally, good gut health starts early. Establishing a fiber-rich diet in childhood supports microbiome diversity and lifelong wellbeing. Gutsy caters to adults and kids alike. As David shared, "Eating for good health is eating for the pleasure towards the vitality and energy to live our best life."

    Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

    You can find more about Gutzy here: https://gutzyorganic.com/

    You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

    If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠


    47 min
  • What Is Microbiome Friendliness With Leo Salvi From Kind To Biome

    Hello and welcome to the Microbiome Mavericks Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine Zorgani, a microbiome expert on a mission to prevent the human microbiome from extinction!

    Today, I have the pleasure of speaking to Leo Salvi, Head of Science at Kind to Biome. Leo joins me today to discuss the important role our skin microbiome plays in maintaining skin health. He sheds light on how the cosmetics industry is responding to the emerging science showing links between skin conditions like acne and disruption to the skin’s delicate microbial balance. We’ll be unpacking what it really means when brands make “microbiome-friendly” claims about their skincare products. How do we know if a product supports versus disturbs the trillions of microbes on our skin? And how is this different from the “clean beauty” movement?

    Over the course of our conversation, Leo shares critical insights for both consumers and brands interested in tapping into microbiome science to enhance skincare routines and products.

    Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

    You can find more about Kind To Biome here:

    https://www.kindtobiome.com/

    You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

    If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠


    34 min
  • The Untold Story of Probiotics With Gianfranco Grompone @BioGaia AB

    Hello and Welcome to the Microbiome Maverick Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine Zorgani, a microbiome expert on a mission to prevent the human microbiome from extinction!

    I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Gianfranco, Chief Scientific Officer at BioGaia, for my podcast "The Microbiome Mavericks." He shared great insights that can help us better understand probiotics.

    Gianfranco explained how he became fascinated with gut microbiome interactions with human health, which led him into the probiotics industry in 2005. His goal is to study how certain bacteria can positively influence health.

    A probiotic must be a specifically identified strain, clinically proven to provide a health benefit to the host. For example, L. reuteri DSM 17938 has significant clinical evidence supporting its ability to reduce colic in infants. Probiotics "speak different languages" with our immune systems, so strain specificity really matters.

    You will also learn that the most important factor in a probiotic form (capsule, tablet, drops) is maintaining the clinically proven effective concentration. The delivery matrix depends on what's convenient for the age and needs of the consumer.

    The research Gianfranco shared on next-generation probiotic F. prausnitzii was fascinating. This strain is missing in certain diseases but helps produce beneficial metabolites. His team found a way to train it to resist oxygen, allowing it to be delivered in supplement form to people missing these microbes. Exciting stuff!

    Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

    You can find more about BioGaia AB here: https://www.biogaia.com/

    You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

    If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠


    47 min
  • Treating Recurrent Pregnancy Loss through Vaginal Microbiota Transplantation @Prof Henriette Svarre Nielsen

    Recurrent pregnancy loss affects up to 5% of couples aiming to have a child. While genetic and anatomical factors explain many cases, nearly 40% have no known cause, leaving families without closure and solutions.

    Our guest today, Professor Henriette Svarre Nielsen, has dedicated over 20 years of research towards finally unlocking answers for these families. As a physician and scientist specializing in recurrent pregnancy loss at the University of Copenhagen, she theorized the vaginal microbiome held critical clues. Her perseverance paid off recently in a groundbreaking case study published in The Lancet’s EClinicalMedicine journal. 

    By performing vaginal microbiota transplantation from a healthy donor, Professor Nielsen achieved what once seemed impossible - she enabled a patient with multiple unexplained pregnancy losses to finally carry a pregnancy to term and deliver a healthy baby. But Professor Nielsen’s impact extends far beyond the lab and clinic. After witnessing the tragedy of preventable maternal deaths in Tanzania early in her career, she founded the Maternity Foundation which has now trained over 300,000 healthcare workers to save women’s lives in childbirth across the globe. 

    When I shared her study “VMT Patient Zero” on LinkedIn got over 65.000 views in less than a month!

    This new episode of The Microbiome Mavericks will be the best 30min you invest in today!

    Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

    You can find more about Prof Henriette Svarre Nielsen here: Linkedin

    You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

    If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

    36 min
  • Rediscovering Our Lost Skin Microbiome Diversity With Dr Larry Weiss @Symbiome

    Hello and Welcome to the Microbiome Maverick Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine Zorgani, a microbiome expert on a mission to prevent the human microbiome from extinction!

    In this new episode of The Microbiome Mavericks, I have the great pleasure of interviewing Larry Weiss the Co-founder and CEO of Symbiome.

    After a 6-year collaboration studying the Yanomami tribe’s skin microbiome, Larry believes he has found an “evolutionary reference point” for healthy human microbiomes. The isolated Amazonian tribe has retained a diverse microbial community, including a protective “environmental biofilm” layer that modern urban dwellers lack. This diversity likely contributes to their robust skin health and lack of inflammatory diseases.

    Unfortunately, studies show urban populations have lost 80% of ancestral microbiome diversity. We also miss out on the environmental biofilm’s absorption of UV rays, antioxidative effects, immune regulation and production of beneficial metabolites. Larry aims to restore some of these diminished functions to improve skin health, but directly reintroducing microbes has not been successful.

    Instead, his company Symbiome utilizes fermented rainforest botanicals. By fermenting plants, while keeping their microbial communities intact, the microbes produce health-promoting postbiotic compounds as they would naturally. Symbiome then uses these fermented oils in their skincare

    line. Their products don’t treat disease; they strengthen skin’s resilience by restoring connections between skin, microbes, and nature lost through modern sterility.

    As lifestyles continue eradicating microbiome diversity, collaborating with groups like the Yanomami provides invaluable perspectives on what we have already lost.

    Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

    You can find more about Symbiome here: https://www.symbiome.com/

    You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

    If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

    47 min
  • Feed Biffie, A Story Book For Children To Learn About Beneficial Bacteria With Theresa Laurenz

    Hello and Welcome to the Microbiome Maverick Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine Zorgani, a microbiome expert on a mission to prevent the human microbiome from extinction!

    In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of hosting Theresa Laurenz, a registered dietician and the author of Feed Biffie. Here is a snippet of some of what you can learn: 

    1. The importance of having a diverse diet: Theresa emphasized the importance of having a diverse diet and consuming a variety of plants to maintain a healthy gut microbiome. She pointed out that Larry, the main character in the book, was only eating two plants, which is not enough to support a healthy gut.

    2. Avoiding the villainization of specific foods: Theresa mentioned that she tried not to villainize any specific food in the book. She believed that gluten is currently vilified because of dysbiosis, but it may not be a problem for everyone. Instead, she focused on the amount of fiber people consume in a day.

    3. Simplifying complex information: Theresa mentioned that she debated whether to change the number of bacteria in the gut that she mentioned in the book. She decided to stick with the trillion-member team because it was a simpler way to convey the idea. She also tried to simplify other complex information, such as the different types of bacteria in the gut, to make it more accessible to readers.

      4. Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

      You can find more about Feed Biffie here: https://www.feedbiffie.com/

      You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

      If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to [email protected]⁠⁠

      34 min
    4. Everything You Need To Know About Prebiotic Fibers With Dr Thomas Gurry @Myota

      Hello and Welcome to the Microbiome Maverick Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine Zorgani, a microbiome expert on a mission to prevent the human microbiome from extinction!

      Today, I have the pleasure of speaking to Dr Thomas Gurry, co-founder and CEO at Myota. With Thomas we have discussed everything prebiotics and here some of the key points: 

      1. Prebiotic fibers are essential for the gut microbiome to function properly and promote health. They are fibers that are fermented by the gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids, which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and improve insulin sensitivity, among other health benefits.

      2. Prebiotic fibers are easily integrated into different foods and can be consumed by people of all ages, as long as the dose is appropriate. They can be added to cereals, yogurt, sauces, baked products, and even used to make flavored drinks. Myota, the company co-founded by Thomas, has developed bars and flavored versions of prebiotic blends that are available in the UK and in Europe soon.

      3. The efficacy of prebiotic blends depends on the individual's microbiome makeup, and selecting the right fibers and combining them in proportions that will make the resulting mixture well-fermented across different microbiome makeups is crucial. Myota has built an end-to-end lab platform that allows them to measure the ability of different microbiomes to break down a panel of different fibers and select the right fibers to combine in their blends. They have also conducted clinical trials to validate the efficacy of their blends.

        4. Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

        You can find more about Myota here: https://myotahealth.com/

        You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

        If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the
        show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

        32 min
      4. The Infant Microbiome With Dr Nikole Kimes @Siolta Therapeutics

        Hello and Welcome to the Microbiome Maverick Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine Zorgani, a microbiome expert on a mission to prevent the human microbiome from extinction!

        In this episode, I had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Nikole Kimes, co-founder and CEO of Siolta Therapeutics. Here are 3 takeaways from this episode: 

        1. The microbiome plays a critical role in how the immune system matures, and it can impact how our bodies determine tolerance, particularly around allergic diseases. The microbiome is established in the first year of life, and there is a diversification that occurs rapidly over the first month of life. 
        2. Live biotherapeutics are different from probiotics and are regulated as drugs by the US FDA. Live biotherapeutics are intended to cure, prevent, treat, or mitigate disease, while probiotics are a general descriptive term for live microbial cells that have a positive impact on health. 
        3. Siolta Therapeutics is developing live biotherapeutics to prevent and treat allergic diseases in newborns, such as atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and allergic asthma. The company is identifying infants that are at risk for developing allergic disease and introducing a defined consortia of bacteria to replenish the gut microbiome over the first year of life. 

          4. Thanks to our Partner Microbiome Connect USA for facilitating this insightful interview! For more about the upcoming conference in Boston 14-16 Nov, you can visit:  https://hubs.ly/Q02510Zp0

          Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

          You can find more about Siolta Therapeutics here: https://www.sioltatherapeutics.com/ 

          You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com ⁠⁠
          If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected] ⁠⁠

          40 min
        4. Nature is our source for a healthy microbiome - Marco Van Es @Bac2Nature

          Hello and Welcome to the Microbiome Maverick Podcast, the only place where microbiome science meets real-world applications. I am your host Dr. Amine zorgani, a microbiome expert. My goal is to make microbiome science a common knowledge for everyone! 

          Today, I have the pleasure of speaking to Marco Van Es, The Founder of Bac2Nature Foundation. With his foundation, Marco is on a mission to improve our lives by leveraging what nature has to offer from microbial diversity. 

          In this episode, we discussed how increasing the biodiversity of the microbiome we live in or around us can have a significant impact on our health. Marco gave a clear example of the contrast between people living in nature as hunter-gatherers have a significantly higher diversity of microbes on their skin and in their guts, which makes their microbiome more resilient as a community of microbes. In contrast, modern human beings have a lower diversity than hunter-gatherers, which might be a part of an explanation why we get more fragile and why our immune system is less educated.

          We also discussed how soil and plants can help increase microbial diversity. Marco suggested that bringing back soil and plants in cities can help improve the diversity of the microbiome in that area. Vegetables grown on liquid fertilizer have much less diverse microbes in their growing environment than the food soil, preferably outdoor. Therefore, growing vegetables in healthy soil outdoors can help increase microbial diversity in our food, which can have a positive impact on our health.

          Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

          You can find more about Bac2Nature foundation here: www.bac2nature.org

          You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: ⁠⁠www.microbiomemavericks.com⁠⁠

          If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

          35 min
        5. Prof. Jack Gilbert: All about the microbiome

          Prof. Jack Gilbert earned his Ph.D. from Unilever and Nottingham University in 2002. He has extensive experience in microbial ecology, working at various research institutions. He co-founded the Earth Microbiome Project and American Gut Project and authored numerous publications on the subject. Prof. Gilbert has received recognition for his work, including awards and listings among influential scientists. He is currently a professor at the University of California San Diego and leads multiple research projects, including BiomeSense Inc., which focuses on developing automated microbiome sensors. He is also the author of the “Dirt is Good” book. 

          In this episode, Prof Gilbert discussed the importance of exposing children to a rich and diverse environment for their health. He explained the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that removing ourselves from microbial and antigenic exposure may have led to the development of autoimmune disorders and immunological diseases. Gilbert's ongoing study looks at how exposing children to forests and outside areas for 3-4 hours a day can reduce cardiometabolic disease, obesity, and allergic disorders. He also discussed a project where porous soil bacteria are isolated and spread on rugs to introduce bacteria into surfaces that have immunostimulatory properties, which will improve immune health, help train the immune system, and prevent allergies. 

          Enjoy the episode, and please follow and share! Happy to hear your thoughts and stay positive!

          You can follow Prof. Jack Gilbert's work through his LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjackagilbert/

          You can find more about The Microbiome Mavericks here: www.microbiomemavericks.com

          If you are interested in speaking, partnering, or sponsoring the show you can reach out directly to [email protected]

          49 min

        About The Microbiome Mavericks

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