by Richard Ellis
As all good adventures begin, mine started with… a delay. Toulouse to CDG went from “on time” to “technical difficulties” faster than failing to connect to the flight wifi, which meant I missed my original connection to Singapore. Grrh.
Thankfully, years of airline travel (and platinum status with Air France) have taught me to anticipate chaos. I phoned in a lifeline mid-delay and secured a seat on a later flight via Hong Kong. Crisis managed – sort of. I landed in Singapore fashionably late, just in time for my morning presentation at the Microbiome Business Collaboration event by Global engage. Nothing quite like going from jet bridge to spotlight with nothing but a power nap and a prayer.
Now, I’m not a natural-born for the conference as a non-scientist I have an imposter syndrome thing going on. Put me in a partner meeting or a business dinner and I’m at home. Put me on stage, sleep-deprived and sweating through Singapore’s 200% humidity index, and I’m… less at home. But with a deep breath and a mild existential crisis, I made it through. My talk on LBP & NGP development (featuring highlights on strain CMC development and production, and lessons from over 30 clinical and commercial projects) was well-received – or at least, no everybody got up and left mid-sentence.
The rest of the event was a rewarding blend of science, networking, and a solid reminder that the microbiome world never sleeps – even if I desperately needed to.
Some presentations that I found particularly insightful from this whirlwind of a trip include:
Bridgette Wilson, PhD – Dietary Impact on Gut Microbiome in Health and Gastrointestinal Disorders
Focusing on gastrointestinal disorders like IBS, Dr. Wilson’s presentation explored how diet shapes the gut microbiome. She explained that while a low FODMAP diet shows efficacy in managing IBS symptoms, it also depletes beneficial gut bacteria such as Bfidobacterium – leading to concerns about its long-term use. To address this, Dr Wilson explained different approaches including probiotic and prebiotic supplementation. Wilson showed that in one trial supplementation of a multi-strain probiotic increased numbers of Bifidobacterium species in patients on low FODMAP compared to the control – a positive result. However, prebiotic supplementation with B-GOS, while improving symptoms, did not prevent the loss. Wilson closed by emphasising the need for personalised dietary solutions for IBS and cautioned against long term low FODMAP use.
Prof. Maurice van Steensel – The Case for Selective Microbiome Control
Opening by describing the importance of the skin microbiome in maintaining skin health, Prof Steensel presented the case for selective anti-bacterials in managing acne and body odour. Steensel explained that existing treatments for skin dysbiosis wipe out all bacterial populations, not distinguishing between the helpful strains such as S. epidermis and the pro-inflammatory ones like C. acnes. To overcome this, Steensel’s company ArrowBiome are developing targeted solutions based on lysins. Steensel introduced SmartArrow™, a precision payload delivery system, and ArcherZyme™, an engineered lysin, designed to clear harmful bacteria without irritating the skin. Data presented indicated SmartArrow™ could achieve bacterial clearance at significantly lower concentrations than conventional products.
Cherry Li – Large-scale Skin Metagenomics Reveals Extensive Prevalence, Coordination, and Functional Adaptation of Skin Microbiome Dermotypes Across Body Sites
Presenting data from one of the largest studies to date on the skin microbiome, Cherry Li revealed that analysis of over 3,500 metagenomes from 200 healthy individuals across 18 body sites identified 17 distinct “dermotypes” – unique microbial community types. Interestingly, these dermotypes were not restricted to specific sites but were consistently observed across different regions of the body. Li highlighted that certain dermotypes were linked to increased skin sensitivity and itch, even in individuals without diagnosed skin conditions. Li closed by highlighting emphasising how these findings could lay the groundwork for personalised dermatological therapies based on dermotype, moving beyond the current one-size-fits-all approach.
Dr. Mrinmoy Mazumder – Harnessing Beneficial Plant-Associated Microbiomes to Enhance Crop Yield, Quality, and Climate Resilience
Dr. Mazumder presented his team’s work on designing microbial consortia to boost crop yield, quality, and climate resilience. Using advanced culturomics and genome modelling, his group developed bacterial consortia that enhanced traits such as drought tolerance, sulphur uptake, and pest resistance in Arabidopsis and Kai-lan. He also highlighted how root-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can stimulate beneficial soil biofilms from a distance, expanding a plant’s microbial sphere of influence and promoting growth.
Jet lag in Asia is its own special kind of torture. When your body thinks it’s 2am and the conference coffee is doing nothing, all bets are off. That said, I made the most of my Saturday in Singapore: the National Museum (blessedly air-conditioned), followed by a bold but ill-advised venture through Chinatown and Little India. After being flambéed by the equatorial sun, I beat a strategic retreat to the hotel pool.
Sunday morning: off to Korea! It’s the Asian country I visit most, yet it never ceases to amaze me. The food is a masterclass in fermentation, the people combine warmth with relentless drive, and there’s a palpable scientific energy – especially when it comes to microbiology and the microbiome. Not surprising then that Korea has been home to over a dozen clinical LBP lines we’ve worked on at Biose in the past seven years.
This Korean leg of the journey was particularly fruitful: promising discussions with long-standing partners, new collaborations emerging, and some genuinely exciting developments I look forward to sharing soon.
From the heat of Singapore to the buzz of Seoul, this trip reminded me why we do what we do – and how far microbiome science has come, from petri dish to patient. And maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to get used to public speaking. (But let’s not get carried away.)
