FutureCamp Europe: the Microbiome

The data emerging from the tests carried out so far by the Italian Microbiome Project suggest the hypothesis that the microbiome of a healthy individual may not correspond to what we would define as a healthy microbiome. Many of the tests examined - belonging to healthy individuals - show worrying levels of dysbiosis that, at least in theory, we know predispose individuals to a variety of metabolic and autoimmune diseases. The diet of Italians - which is increasingly similar to the standard diet of Western countries - is becoming more and more deficient in fermentable fibers, a fact that starves a large part of the bacterial populations residing in the intestines of our compatriots. The progressive depletion of variety and richness of the intestinal microbiota (the so-called dysbiosis) brings with it a progressive loss of genetic resources attributable to bacteria that we know are useful complements to our biochemical resources. It is necessary to understand how to improve our diet to remedy this fact before a state of potential predisposition to disease turns into explicit pathology.

The biology of the skin and hair is truly fascinating. It is the largest organ of the human body and has a crucial function for life. Understanding how it works allows us to study ways to prevent its diseases and seek treatments. Hair, on the other hand, although no longer serving a useful function for the body (in prehistoric times they were used to protect the body from cold and sun rays) but now only aesthetic and psychological, are considered the most complex organ of the human body.

It is enough to think that all the cells that make up the skin and hair come from the same structures of the brain, and that they regenerate at very precise intervals to allow wounds to heal, or to maintain intact cutaneous functions. The skin is covered by the microbiome, specific and essential to maintain the balance that allows us to defend ourselves from the external environment, from bacteria and viruses, from ultraviolet rays which are the origin of skin tumors.

Studying the biology of the skin and hair and the complex system of the microbiome allows us to find ways to safeguard human body health.

It is also an important opportunity for study and professional growth, leading to an increasingly promising future.

It is difficult to imagine a food in which the microbial component has not had a dominant role in its preparation. Equally difficult would be to think of preserving a food without maintaining its freshness through interventions that limit microbial growth. Microorganisms have always represented both an irreplaceable element in obtaining a large number of foods, and biological agents whose control is necessary to ensure the quality and safety of food products for consumers. Furthermore, in many cases, foods are a vehicle for microorganisms that are ingested alive and in high quantities. Consequently, the study of their interaction with the host and with the resident microbiota in the human gastrointestinal tract has assumed increasing relevance in recent decades. This presentation aims to be an educational-scientific journey that uses food to unveil the microbial world with which humans have shared their evolutionary path.

Ancient techniques for food improvement and preservation are coming back into vogue.
Since time immemorial, humanity has used microbial activity to improve food and make it preservable. Today, many are hoping for a return to these ancient techniques, with medicine noting its benefits, gourmet chefs appreciating its incredible sensory facets, and environmentalists emphasizing its sustainability as methods that allow preservation without the use of energy.
Let's explore the basic principles of food fermentations, their potential, and how they can be applied in various fields.
We understand what has happened to traditions and how they can be revalued and improved, adapting them to our era.