Using microbes to treat infections: Dr. Brian Klein

Joyful Microbe

What if doctors could use microbes to treat infections? It might seem counterintuitive at first because, well, aren’t the microbes the problem?

Not really. Our bodies have microbes living in and on them, which is a good thing. These organisms, called the human microbiome, help keep us healthy. Because of the amazing benefits of having these microorganisms as a part of us, why couldn’t we try and take bacteria or other microbes that are considered “healthy” and use them to fix some of the problems we experience due to “bad” microbes?

There are numerous companies developing ways to use microbes to fix microbial problems. So, in this podcast episode, I chat with Dr. Brian Klein. He is the co-founder and CEO of BrickBuilt Therapeutics, a company that is developing microbiome-based therapeutics to treat infections of the mouth.

We discuss the oral, skin, and gut microbiomes of humans and the potential to treat diseases or disorders affecting those sites of the body using microbes.

In this episode, you will learn about…

• The human microbiome
• BrickBuilt Therapeutics: an oral microbiome therapeutics company
• C. difficile infections and fecal transplants
• Microbiome-based therapeutics for C. difficile infections
• Process of turning a microbiome-based discovery into a product
• At-home microbiology activity: sequencing microbiomes

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