Awarded the 11th BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, researcher Jeffrey Gordon explains in this interview how the human microbiome—the collection of microbes that inhabit the body—profoundly influences health, nutrition, and the development of metabolic diseases. Based on his pioneering research into the interaction between the gut microbiota and the body, Gordon explains how these modulating microbial communities can determine physiological responses, how they are established, and their impact on conditions such as obesity and malnutrition. His perspective integrates basic science and biomedical applications, highlighting the importance of understanding this “internal ecology” to design new therapies and preventive approaches in personalized medicine.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biology and Biomedicine category has gone in th
Awarded the 11th BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, researcher Jeffrey Gordon explains in this interview how the human microbiome—the collection of microbes that inhabit the body—profoundly influences health, nutrition, and the development of metabolic diseases. Based on his pioneering research into the interaction between the gut microbiota and the body, Gordon explains how these modulating microbial communities can determine physiological responses, how they are established, and their impact on conditions such as obesity and malnutrition. His perspective integrates basic science and biomedical applications, highlighting the importance of understanding this “internal ecology” to design new therapies and preventive approaches in personalized medicine.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biology and Biomedicine category has gone in this eleventh edition to American researcher Jeffrey I. Gordon, for his fundamental discovery of the importance of the gut microbial community to human health, in the words of the committee.
00:00 Introduction
00:05 Could you explain how your research has revealed the importance of the gut microbial community for human health?
01:34 What has your research revealed about malnutrition, and how can your discoveries help reduce its impact on affected children?
03:02 How has the study of the microbiota helped to understand obesity and to identify possible treatments for this condition?
04:02 Looking to the future, which areas of research in the field of microbiomes do you consider the most promising for improving human health and for finding treatments for human diseases?
