In a study that our and Mattias Lorentzon's research groups published in Nature, we isolated Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a butyrate-producing bacterium with anti-inflammatory properties, together with another bacterium, Desulfovibrio piger. The latter has beneficial effects on Faecalibacterium prausnitzii's growth and butyrate acid production. By then training the oxygen-sensitive Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in a favorable electrochemical environment, we were able to isolate more oxygen-resistant bacteria. We have now been able to show that the bacterial combination is safe for humans and we are now conducting studies to investigate if the addition of these bacteria has beneficial effects on blood sugar control in individuals with pre-diabetes.

To the article "Synergy and oxygen adaptation for development of next-generation probiotics" in Nature online.