Join us on Thursday, January 12th at 5pm GMT for a discussion on how the recent developments and discoveries in the microbiome field are revolutionising biotechnology and medicine. 

The microbiome is a collection of microbes, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, and their molecules, living in a specific habitat, such as the human skin or the soil. These groups of microorganisms are dynamic and interact with their environment – as such, the human microbiome influences the development of our immunity and nutrition, while the soil microbiome contributes to nutrient recycling and pathogen suppression. The field of microbiome research has evolved rapidly over the past few decades, and enabled the development of new interventional strategies in human medicine, forensic science, plant pathology, ecology, and agriculture.

We will host a panel of four young startups – Eligo Biosciences, inBiome, BoobyBiome and Bactobio – to talk about the innovations that microbiome research has brought to different fields, from human health, to diagnostics and environmental solutions.

Eligo Biosciences

David Bikard is the co-founder and CTO of Eligo Biosciences, as well as the laboratory head of the Synthetic Biology group at Institut Pasteur, where he is investigating bacteria-phage interactions and how these can be exploited for developing novel biotechnological tools.

Eligo Bioscience is a Paris-based company developing a microbiome gene editing therapy platform, and is advancing a highly differentiated pipeline of precision medicines to address unmet medical needs in immuno-inflammation and oncology, caused by the expression of specific deleterious bacterial genes by our microbiome.

inBiome

Dries Budding is the co-founder and CEO of inBiome. Dries is a scientist, a medical doctor specialising in clinical microbiology, and an entrepreneur. This combination enables him to oversee the whole chain of medical innovation, from fundamental discovery in the lab to implementation in routine patient care.
inBiome is a molecular diagnostics company based in Amsterdam that is redefining clinical microbiology. inBiome has developed a novel profiling technique that allows characterization of complex bacterial communities within hours, allowing considerably faster and more accurate diagnosis. Their innovative platform allows an advanced view of the human microbiome, as well as faster diagnosis of bacterial infections.

BoobyBiome

Lydia Mapstone is the CEO and co-founder of BoobyBiome, an all-female team of scientists passionate about improving infant health. Lydia is a microbiologist and a technical entrepreneur, with a vast experience in developing biotechnological solutions for improving human health and developing environmental solutions.
BoobyBiome, a biotech company based in London, is developing a unique microbiome supplement for infant milk, which facilitates the development of a robust microbiome in early life, decreasing the likelihood of developing chronic disease later in life.

Bactobio

Mark Wilkinson is the CSO of Bactobio, and has vast experience in developing drug discovery platforms, firstly during his PhD at Imperial College London, and later at GlaxoSmithKline in Madrid.
Bactobio is a London-based company which has pioneered innovative technologies, combining machine learning, automation and synthetic biology, for exploring the microbial products from the microbial dark matter, the unculturable microbes.