We help our partners in the nutraceuticals & ingredients industry uncover and validate the diverse health benefits of their compounds. These include novel nutraceuticals, branded ingredients and microbiotics that act through the gut microbiome (prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics - SCFAs). Our world-leading CRO expertise enables you to elucidate the health benefits and mechanism of actions of your nutritional product fast, using an ethical alternative to testing in sentient mammals.
Download the full case study here and learn how AB Biotek and Magnitude Biosciences collaborate to develop a new generation of probiotics.
Context
AB Biotek Human Nutrition & Health (ABB HNH), a business division of ABF Ingredients (ABFI), were working to identify key probiotics and postbiotics that improve human health. They needed to test formulations using high-throughput and ethical means, that aligned with their values, to predict and uncover potential outcomes in the gut microbiome. This was critical to inform R&D decisions and streamline their pipeline.
Solution
We helped design and implement novel techniques to measure the effects of combinations of yeast, bacteria and prebiotics on diverse in vivo health parameters
- Our experts developed bespoke assays and study designs to answer their specific research questions (fat deposition assay)
- AB Biotek HNH were able to gain an in depth-look at a full range of whole organism health effects of specific compounds
- We saved AB Biotek time by providing rich in vivo data in the format required to all internal stakeholders
- We helped AB Biotek gain IP for their compounds for further prioritisation and investment
‘We have formed an incredible partnership, which not only has provided AB Biotek with novel information on our formulations, but also Magnitude Biosciences with new technology to implement in their future services. All of this will be reflected in the publications of several papers and the filing of several patents. We hope to maintain this collaboration in future projects and keep developing new formulations to help human health.’
Gerald Dard,
Managing Director, AB Biotek HNH
Why C. elegans?
C. elegans is a proven whole organism model for human nutrition studies. As invertebrates, C. elegans offer a sustainable option for testing, (taking care of rodents consumes much more energy, water and resources).
Furthermore, our model offers key advantages over the use of individual cell lines that lack the complexity of a whole organism, and cannot predict the biological effects on complete physiological systems. C. elegans is an established model for ageing studies, that cannot be replicated in vitro. In addition, C. elegans has intrinsic properties making it an ideal model for testing natural products, especially microbiotics.
✓ Ethical in vivo model to discover health benefits and patent early
✓ Sustainable, ethical alternative to testing in sentient mammals
✓ Unique technology and expertise to discover in vivo bioactive potential for IP
✓ Whole model organism data to predict safety and biological effects
✓ Intrinsic advantages for microbiotic testing (prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics / SCFAs)
✓ Transgenic models and specialised assays for nutraceutical & ingredients
Unique technology and expertise
Our unique automated VivoScan™ and WormGazer™ platforms provide in vivo data on integrated health measures for relevant and consistent results to characterise your product and its benefits, so you can patent early.
Our technology and expert interdisciplinary team, with over 80+ years joint C. elegans experience, means collaborate with you to bring the most relevant assays for nutritional applications, including a range of transgenic models.
Products we test:
- Health Supplements
- Ingredients
- Botanicals
- Cosmeceuticals
- Drug Compounds
- Microbial Formulations
- Probiotics
- Prebiotics
- Microbial Extracts
- Live Microbes
- Bio-Agricultural Compounds
- Manufacturing Materials
- Chemicals