2025 highlights in biotic science

This special year-end episode, which covers 2025’s highlights in biotic science, features three of the academic scientists who serve on the ISAPP board of directors: Prof. Maria Marco PhD from University of California, Davis (USA), Prof. Sarah Lebeer PhD from University of Antwerp (Belgium), and Dr. Gabriel Vinderola PhD from National University of Litoral (Argentina). After a brief review of ISAPP’s activities, the host, Prof. Colin Hill PhD from University College Cork (Ireland) asks the three guests about the talks that stood out from the ISAPP annual meeting. The guests cited talks by Prof. Howard Bauchner MD on publishing and the scientific communication ecosystem; Dr. Carolina Tropini PhD on factors affecting the gut microbial environment and engineering gut microbes as biosensors; and Dr. Peijun Tian PhD on a microbial metabolite that can signal to the brain to relieve depression through the gut-brain axis. The guests also described some stand-out papers published this year (linked below). Finally, they discussed how science is informing regulatory issues in different parts of the world, and shared some research from their own labs that they’re particularly excited about.

Episode abbreviations and links:

• Paper from Dr. Peijun Tian PhD showing a microbial metabolite that signals through the gut-brain axis: Bifidobacteria with indole-3-lactic acid-producing capacity exhibit psychobiotic potential via reducing neuroinflammation
• NiMe diet paper: Cardiometabolic benefits of a non-industrialized-type diet are linked to gut microbiome modulation (also see this podcast episode)
• Paper on a host colonization factor in L. plantarum: A conserved bacterial genetic basis for commensal-host specificity
• Research presented at a congress this year on maternal feces given to infants: Eating a tiny bit of mom’s poop could give C-section babies an immune ‘primer’
• Paper from Marco lab on microbial metabolites in sauerkraut: The fermented cabbage metabolome and its protection against cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers