From an overview on the increasing science publications relative to probiotics and the microbiota, as well as an increasing global market for probiotics, we will discuss how the reach of probiotics is more and more known and acknowledged in always more aspects of our health.

The biggest interest seen currently is orientated towards the gut brain axis and how probiotics can help people with depression and anxiety disorders, mood, autism or even Parkinson disease. We will explain some of the pathways with which the gut communicates with the brain and vice-versa, and the potential of probiotics.

Secondly, given the present epidemic of obesity and metabolic diseases and the increasingly established role of the microbiota in these diseases, we will discuss on the opportunities of probiotics and fecal transplant regarding weight management, cholesterol control, the TMAO pathway and its role in atherosclerosis, as well as diabetes.

Probiotics and microbiota restauration hold a special role as they have been shown to help people while re-establishing a natural balance, in all safety and without side effects, bringing potential alternatives to certain drugs.

The opportunities brought by public awareness, scientific evidence and demand from the market are limited by some challenges faced with the industry, regarding the technical feasibility of new strains, the regulatory hurdles around claiming and customer expectations of pharma quality and studies while the products are mostly staying under the status of food or food supplement with a limited cost per dose to the consumer.

Biography:
Before entering industry, Nina was involved in nutritional research at Penn State University, USA, the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the National Institute for Agronomic Research. Today she manages sales across Western Europe markets for Probiotical. She has a degree in Agronomy and Nutrition from AgroParisTech, National Institute of Life Sciences.