We are a holobiont

We are made by human cells + trillion microbes.

Lichens, corals, and human beings have something special in common. These organisms are what’s known as a holobiont: a combination of two or more species forming a new symbiotic consortium. The term became quite popular among microbiologists after that the American evolutionary theorist Lynn Margulis used it in 1991. To develop her theory of symbiosis, she studied lichens – the crusty-looking vegetation found on rocks and trees in cold environments – which are made up of a fungus conjoined with algae.

Why we cannot live without good bacteria – aka probiotics.

The concept of holobiont is particularly fascinating when applied to human beings. We are made by human cells + trillion microbes. They are in and on us. They live in our gut, on our skin, and have been found to affect a variety of human organs and processes. They play a crucial role in regulating our immune system, and have played a key role in our evolutionary story, pretty cool really! Our cells and microbes live together in a perfect balance, helping each other. If this balance is broken, a variety of disorders can affect our bodies. In other words, we cannot live without these microbes! The good ones that have beneficial effects on our health are called: probiotics.

A future of scientific discovery about probiotics.

We are so fascinated by this concept that we decided to name our blog: “The Holobiont,” after it. We are human cells + microbes + their interactions. That’s why probiotics are so important, powerful and effective. They are good bacteria that can target specific areas of concern and restore your health balance. But thousands of probiotic strains exist, and scientific research is just at the beginning. We’re studying their beneficial effects – which go far beyond gut health – and we work hard to unveil their potential, leveraging the most recent scientific studies and partnering with the best probiotics experts in the world. Our first probiotics target skin, immune, and gut health (this way to discover more).

The “Holobiont” (it’s our blog)! Is the place to find the latest articles on all things related to pre, post, and probiotics — including our thoughts, ideas, happenings, and scientific discoveries surrounding these topics. 

Nerdy readings: 

[1] https://aeon.co/ideas/i-holobiont-are-you-and-your-microbes-a-community-or-a-single-entity

[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jez.b.22931

[3] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jez.b.22931