Our Science
How our world-leading research helps shape the world
Backed by real science
At Ateria we are employing world leading research to understand the impact our product has on the microbiome and a range of health conditions.
We are using the cutting-edge techniques of metabonomics (where we look at the metabolite changes in the microbiome) and metagenomics (where we look at changes in the species in the microbiome by looking at the DNA/RNA).
This is important because conventional culture techniques do not pick up most gut bacteria. With both metabonomics and metagenomics, we are using seriously high-powered computer data analysis.
What is the microbiome?
The human gut is full of billions of bacteria with viruses and fungi, which are collectively known as ‘the microbiome’. In health, these components stay in balance.
The bacteria help to regulate the immune system and protect against other bacteria that cause diseases. They also help to digest food, breaking it down (’fermenting’ it) to small molecules that are used for energy and metabolism.
If too much carbohydrate is present or if the breakdown is inefficient, then ‘bad’ bacteria proliferate, producing toxic chemicals which irritate the gut.
This unbalanced microbiome is linked with a number of health problems, including obesity, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The microbiome is essential for human development, immunity,
and nutrition