Last chance: IPA + Probiota 2018 Early Bird registration ends today!

The IPA World Congress + Probiota 2018​ will combine the latest insights from science, regulation and business to provide delegates with the ultimate event to bridge the gap between the worlds of business and scientific research.

Early Bird registration for this industry leading event ends at midnight today, 31^st​ October. Register now using the code ACIDOPHILUS​, ​to receive a 20% discount on delegate places​.​

Moving to Barcelona for its 2018 edition, IPAWC+ Probiota will explore the frontier of pre-, probiotic and microbiome science and how that is applied in the commercial world for food and nutraceutical players everywhere.

The annual event will bring together experts and leaders from global industries and academia together in one place to present top level insights and provide otherwise impossible networking opportunities.

On the agenda this year are engaging sessions on modulating the microbiome for sports performance​, consumer understanding​ of pre- and probiotics, the importance of the microbiota in the first 1000 days of life​, plus sessions looking at the latest microbiome start-up trailblazers​ and targeting diseases through the microbiome​. In addition, don’t miss key updates from the IPA​ and dynamic panel discussions will look at how the recent changes to ISAPPs prebiotic definition​ may be changing the game and how personalised nutrition​ and wearable devices are starting to alter the shape of research and business.

Last week, the IPA World Congress + Probiota set out its call for abstracts. If your cutting edge research or state-of-the-art development in the prebiotic, probiotic or microbiome areas is of impact and relevance to human health, well-being, consumers and industry? – we would like to hear from you!​​

Outline Agenda​

DAY 1:​​

Prebiotics have always been an important area of business and research when looking at modulators of the microbiome. But given recent changes in the ISAPP definition of what a prebiotic is – are there now more opportunities? Or will the market simply become flooded with more ingredients that are yet to be scientifically validated? Our pre-conference workshop on prebiotics will have a major focus on how the recently changed ISAPP definition of prebiotics will impact both researchers and businesses, but will also provide a selection of ‘deep dives’ into the latest research in the traditional and freshly expanded prebiotic world.

Our first 1000 days are some of the most important in life and our health, wellness and development at this time can have a huge and lasting impact. Our pre-conference workshop looks at the key issues of microbiome formation and development from conception through to infancy – tackling issues of infant health, maternal influence and how new insights into the microbiome and probiotics could help pre-term babies and those born by C-section.

TBC.

DAY 2:​​ 8^th​ February​

Understanding the way consumers perceive probiotics and prebiotics, the reasons why they buy them, and how they buy them, is vital for businesses operating in this space. This session will provide key insights on consumer understanding and behaviour, in addition to new analysis of how key retailers see the probiotic market developing and the growing challenges and opportunities provided by the online world.

This session brings together valuable expertise in regulatory issues to discuss the best way to leverage new scientific findings and product developments around the world. A panel debate addressing the regulatory stalemate in Europe and how countries like Switzerland and Italy are slowly changing the game, will lead into discussions on wider issues of regulation and questions of whether the food supplement of medical routes to market provide the best solution for probiotics, probiotics, and other microbiome therapeutics.

The last 6 to 12 months has seen an explosion in research suggesting that our microbial ecosystems have a big impact on sports and exercise performance. 

From endurance athletes, to team sports like rugby new research points highlight startling differences in the microbiota of sports professionals and non-athletes. With a mixture of research findings from key studies in this area, and discussions of applications by sports nutrition professionals, this session looks to elevate the discussions on sports and the microbiome to the next level.

There’s never been a better time to launch a microbiome or probiotic start-up. As major universities look to spin-out and licence key discoveries, global food and pharma businesses open up venture funds and external innovation programmes and incubators to draw innovative entrepreneurs into their orbit – there are rich pickings for microbiome trailblazers in search of money, experience and a global platform for their ideas. But how can you win in a competitive environment?

This session looks to combine insights from emerging and established microbiome ‘start-ups’ with those of key investors and industry giants looking to partner, invest in and otherwise work with the start-ups and spin-outs in the microbiome area.

Together with our innovation panellists, our Trailblazers will discuss the key discoveries, findings and market trends they are tapping into and shine a spotlight on some of the opportunities (and pitfalls) that are out there.

DAY 3:​​ 9^th​ February​

Big data and the use of bioinformatics and –omics technologies to provide a detailed view of our microbiome is an area of huge interest. Many research projects are now looking to leverage population level data to gain a better understanding of how and why our gut bacteria differ – and whether shifts to our microbiota can cause our health to alter (for better or worse). This session looks to gain updates on major population-level studies, but also looks at how these huge population sets can begin to inform a more personal understanding of the microbiome.

It will also explore whether using new technologies to track our personal ‘big data’ in the form of microbiome analysis and other metabolite measures can begin to provide a personalised approach to nutrition. Is the wearable and digital revolution to our lifestyle beginning to impact the way we personalise our health, and manage disease? Where are the opportunities for probiotics, prebiotics and other microbiome modulators?

The International Probiotic Association is the global voice of probiotics in both academia and industry. The organisation’s goal is to provide a unique forum for the exchange of research and the latest breakthroughs in probiotic technology and new product development. Through its work with key partners, and member companies, the IPA publishes many reports, guidelines, and pieces of scientific research. This session will provide an overview of the most recent updates and research reports from the IPA.

A huge number of breakthroughs in technologies in recent years have allowed researchers a greater insight into the structure and function of the human microbiome. From mapping our microbiota ‘ecosystem’, to a greater understanding of how metabolites generated by our gut bacteria influence our health and disease through a raft of immune and inflammatory cascades. Genomic sequencing, bioinformatics, new modelling and measuring techniques have allowed greater depth and clarity in understanding the complexity and inter-connectedness of our microbiome to other bodily functions. As these findings generate high-level interest within the scientific community, and as more and more start-ups and spin-outs look to commercialise findings, it is only natural that major pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare companies show massive interest in the microbiome and the potential for microbiome-based therapies. This session will outline some of the most recent scientific findings to link the microbiome to disease, and bring insights on how companies (both big and small) are looking to commercialise.