A personal translation of Microbiome Futures
Posted 28th November 2018 by Jane Williams
It was a pleasure to have Dirk Gevers involved in our Microbiome Futures project earlier this year. In the following opinion piece, Dirk reflects on the outcomes that went on to be published in Nature Biotechnology.
The original article can be found on Biovox and is republished here with kind permission.
Translating Microbiome Futures
Posted 9th November 2018 by Jane Williams
In May of this year, Nature Biotechnology and Global Engage convened a panel of leaders in the microbiome field that included CEOs and CSOs of several microbiome companies, representatives from big pharmas working in the space, and top academics from the New York area and beyond to discuss the current state of the art in human microbiome research and its translation into therapies.
Charting a Translational Roadmap in the Microbiome Space – A Multidimensional Challenge
Posted 3rd May 2018 by Jane Williams
The opportunity afforded by the microbiome for developing therapeutic and wellness products is matched only by the formidable task of unraveling the science of the microbiome in the first place. Microbiome research is transitioning from a descriptive to a more mechanistic science, and progress in understanding mechanisms that underpin microbiome biology is likely to result in a surge of interest in this space on the part of the biotech, pharma and investor communities.
The conundrum with animal models of the human microbiome
Posted 15th March 2018 by Jane Williams
‘The most that can be expected from any model is that it can supply a useful approximation to reality: All models are wrong; some models are useful.’
This aphorism, simply articulated here by prominent British statistician George Box, gets to the crux of the dilemma we face when considering animal models for the study of human microbiome dynamics and mechanisms.
Collaboration, Translation and the Future of Microbiome Innovation
Posted 1st March 2018 by Jane Williams
Translation. When we hear this word, it may evoke feelings of excitement, adventure and possibility that come with learning different languages or travelling to a foreign country. For scientists, ‘translation’ also suggests moving research findings from the laboratory into clinical practice. Just as words are translated, so too are research findings.
Microbiome-based interventions – a labyrinth of modalities
Posted 11th January 2018 by Jane Williams
Microbiome-based interventions, whether therapeutic or prophylactic, come in a broad spectrum of modalities, a consequence of the complexity of and possibilities afforded by the microbiome.
