Judged by the Probiota scientific committee, the Scientific Frontiers session delivered cutting edge research and novel insights on prebiotics, probiotics and the human microbiome.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural poster session, the 2015 session brought together a mixture of industry-led research and academic science and covered a broad range of topics and applications from skin photoaging to upper respiratory tract infections.
In a special conference session today, the three winners of the Scientific Frontiers session took to the stage to each present a short talk on their data – all of which generated huge interest and debate.
Dr Pierre Burguiére of Lallemand Health Solutions presented new data on the use of flow cytometry for the specific quantification and viability assessment of probiotic bacteria in a multi-strain product.
The research suggested that while classical microbiomogy plating has some value for counting and identifying strains, there is great potential for flow cytometry coupled with specific fluorescent antibodies to produce a new quantification and viability standard for the industry.
Second up, Ida Smith of Chr. Hansen offered new data on identifying yeasts capable of human inflammatory responses. In her talk, Smith revealed that in vitro screening methods utilised in her lab have identified a non-Saccharomyces yeast that is capable of inducing an immune response dominated by regulatory T cells.
The final presentation, by Dragana Skokovic-Sunjic, looked to take probiotic science to end user clinicians though a clinical guide set up to assess the clinical evidence for probiotic supplements available on the Canadian market.
The guide aims to help end clinicians, dieticians and consumers to understand the evidence for different strains and conditions – rating the links between different strains and conditions in three evidence grades.