016 - Dr. Embriette Hyde
Microbes Run The World:
And Why You Can Make It Work In Your Favour
Embriette is one of those attractively enviable people who have figured out how to combine multiple passions for a living. For her, these passions are writing and science. She holds a PhD in Integrative and Molecular Biomedical Science and has spent years on the cutting edge of research on the microbiome. Grab your kombucha, and settle in with Ben and Embriette, as she shares insights into how the microbiome touches every aspect of our lives.
Twitter: @EmbrietteHyde
Website: drhydenotjekyll.com
Email: embriette@drhydenotjekyll.com
Medium Blog: https://medium.com/@embriette
NOTES
Investigative Research
- research on the microbiome (PhD)
- looking at changes in microbiome in an area - what cause some to flourish instead of others
- healthy people vs sick people
- she thinks of the microbiome like looking up at the galaxy: multitudes more bacteria just in our own bodies than stars you can see
- became interested in communicating science to the public
- how the microbiome in your mouth helps you with cardiovascular health
- forensics aspect, how microbes help break our bodies down after we die
A Developing Direction
- Embriette asked: what can I do, to make people understand my work more?
- citizen science microbiome project
- now writing full-time to meet goal of better public & broader community education on the microbiome
- always loved writing, kept journals growing up
- got 102% on a science test despite being in a period of depression
- occurred to her that maybe she should be doing science!
- now combining her passions for science and writing
Engaging With Current Research
- loves citizen science, because it gives people a chance to engage as well as understand how and why scientific trials take time
- wants to help find a balance between educating the public & generating excitement about scientific investigation, and reporting about it responsibly and giving the research the time it needs to be verified
- advises people to seek out the source about any research you read in articles
Medicine and the Microbiome
- discussion of specific bacteria and fungi that are helping us
- for many diseases, there are specific probiotics that help
- anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory bacteria
- the idea is to keep everything in balance
- creating an environment for life to thrive
- she is excited about the concept of precision medicine, that takes into account everyone’s individuality
- one size does NOT fit all with treatment
- individualised approach, considering your microbiome and many other factors
Ongoing Research Projects
- The Earth Microbiome Project: catalogue the microbiome of every single environment on earth
- The American Gut Project is its daughter project
- Embriette has been involved in both of these
- collaboration is necessary to make sense of this much data!
Links Between Brain & Gut
- your brain and your gut affect each other, mainly through hormones
- researching links between microbiome and various common illnesses e.g. depression
- depression is linked to inflammation, and imbalances in your microbe communities can cause inflammation
- eating to keep your brain & microbiome healthy could also result in feeling happier
Shifting Your Lifestyle
- your microbes are what you eat
- eating foods that are high in micro-accessible carbohydrates
- getting creative with veggies, nuts & seeds, fermented foods
- eat the rainbow, foods of various colours
- being pro-biotic = pro-life, in every aspect of how you live your life: make the lives of your little microbes better, and you will make your own life better