The microbiome field is at an inflection point. The concept of using bacteria to treat a variety of common diseases appears to be a clinical achievement, although it has not yet been surpassed by some skeptics. With thriving drug development research in areas ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to antibacterial-resistant skin diseases and infections, the promise of the microbiome is growing rapidly in academic laboratories and industry.
Our people are mostly microbes, more than 100 billion of them. The number of microbes is ten to one greater than our human cells. Most live in our intestines, mainly in the colon. The microbiome is the genetic material of all microbes – bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses – that live inside and inside the human body. The number of genes in all microbes in a person’s microbiome is 200 times the number of genes in the human genome. The microbiome can weigh up to five pounds.
In this episode of GEN Live, we are excited to host three prominent leaders from industry and academia to discuss the new frontier of microbiome research, recent advances and clinical potential, and future challenges.