It was great hosting visiting group from Jiangnan University, China! Spent the day diving into scientific interactions, touring labs, & exchanging ideas about research 🔬🧫 Always fascinating to share knowledge & get different perspectives on the field #ScientificExchange #GlobalScience #Microbiology

Dr. Maria Marco spoke at the 2026 annual meeting of @iafp.bsky.social about needs for quality and safety of #FermentedFoods as they are complex ecosystem. Safe practices for fermented foods are important to avoid infections caused by food born pathogens 🍽️🧫 #IAFP2026 #FoodSafety #Microbiology

Eating #FermentedFoods does more than just taste good🦠✨ See Dr. Marco & colleagues featured in @nytimes.com discussing how yogurt, kimchi, sourdough boost gut microbiome diversity, improve digestion, & lower inflammation Read the full piece here: shorturl.at/AOJuV #UCDavis #GutHealth #Microbiome

#NewPublicationAlert 🎉🐄 Our latest research indicates udder antibiotics have a limited significant impact on milk & teat microbiota in cows during & after dry-off, with variations primarily driven by sampling time & location. Full story👉 journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... #DairyScience #Microbiome

Variations in cow milk and teat skin microbiota across the lactation cycle with intramammary cephalosporin use at dry-off | Applied and Environmental Microbiology

The use of antibiotics in agriculture is under increasing scrutiny due to the rising spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Our study showed that common preventative antibiotic intramammary treatment of cows with cephalosporins at the end of their lactation (dry-off) had minimal effects on the milk and teat skin microbiota of asymptomatic cows with high somatic cell counts.

journals.asm.org

#NewPublicationAlert 🎉 Our recent study explores consumer motivations for eating #FermentedFoods🦠🍴 While digestive benefits & #probiotics are key drivers, taste is the primary motivator. Many consumers assume all FF offer same health benefits Find the full story rb.gy/7xf083 #GutHealth #FoodScience

Frontiers | Consumer knowledge and motivations for consumption of fermented foods

Non-alcoholic fermented foods (FFs) are a popular food group with consumers; however limited studies exist evaluating the motivations for consuming FFs and t...

frontiersin.org

This podcast gives you in the inside scoop on ISAPP's recently published scientific consensus definition of gut health! Hear from the 2 lead authors about the 6 domains of gut health and what the definition means for future study design. isappscience.org/resource/epi...

ISAPP’s scientific consensus definition of gut health - International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP)

Gut health is a commonly used term that previously had no scientific definition. In the paper, the group defines gut health as: “a state of normal gastrointestinal function without active gastrointest...

isappscience.org

We’re very excited to welcome Dr. Barry (Jingzhang) Feng as the newest postdoctoral fellow in our group! ✨🎉 Barry has a background in food safety. Barry will contribute to the EATLAC project, focusing on enhancing the health benefits and improving the safety of fermented foods. #MarcoLab #EATLAC

New online! The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of gut health

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of gut health

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Published online: 18 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41575-026-01176-xThis Consensus Statement provides a definition of the term ‘gut health’, as well as a discussion of the relevant domains that contribute to gut health and a framework for appropriate use of the term in the context of therapeutic interventions.

dlvr.it

Excited to share our latest publication! 🎉 This consensus statement, led by @isappscience.bsky.social, establishes an evidence-based definition of gut health relevant to clinical practice & dietary & biotic interventions. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #GutHealth #Microbiome #ISAPP #DigestiveHealth

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of gut health - Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology

This Consensus Statement provides a definition of the term ‘gut health’, as well as a discussion of the relevant domains that contribute to gut health and a framework for appropriate use of the term i...

nature.com

We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Vi Pham as the newest postdoctoral fellow in our group! 🎉 Vi has an exciting background in food fermentation and lactic acid bacteria metabolism, and is interested in integrating microbial genomics and metabolites to investigate health implications.

Excited to welcome Caterina Nicolotti, a Food Science PhD student from the University of Parma, Italy, joining us as a visiting student for the next six months!! 🎓✨ Caterina is interested in characterizing probiotic strains and studying their effects using intestinal epithelial cell models.

Checkout our latest publication..! 🎊 Comprehensive review of studies assessing the effects of fermented dairy foods on gut health of adults & children...now published at academic.oup.com/nutritionrev... Congratulations to Glory Bui and Prof. Marco 🎉 #Probiotics #Guthealth #FermentedFoods #Dairy

Impact of Fermented Dairy on Gastrointestinal Health and Associated Biomarkers

Abstract. In this narrative review, we examined observational and randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of fermented dairy foods, includin

academic.oup.com

Super excited to announce our new Review! 🥁 Lactobacilli biology, applications, and host interactions shorturl.at/pF31b Congratulations to @alejandramejia.bsky.social & Prof. Marco! 🎉 Lactobacilli are everywhere, in our food, gut, & now at the center of exciting opportunities in health & nutrition

Lactobacilli biology, applications and host interactions - Nature Reviews Microbiology

Lactobacilli are important members of human, animal and insect microbiomes and are prominent in food fermentations. In this Review, Mejía-Caballero and Marco explore the diversity of lactobacilli, foc...

shorturl.at

New online! Lactobacilli biology, applications and host interactions

Lactobacilli biology, applications and host interactions

Nature Reviews Microbiology, Published online: 23 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01205-7Lactobacilli are important members of human, animal and insect microbiomes and are prominent in food fermentations. In this Review, Mejía-Caballero and Marco explore the diversity of lactobacilli, focusing on their fundamental traits and their applications in foods and medicine.

nature.com

"Should I take a probiotic?" is a common question that clinicians receive. Here's an answer that's based on the latest science. isappscience.org/how-to-respo...

How to respond to the question “Should I take a probiotic?” - International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP)

Two experts explain the science of probiotics and how to answer the question of whether you should take a probiotic.

isappscience.org

Thrilled to share our new publication (journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...) examining whether fermented cabbage (sauerkraut) can protect intestinal barrier from inflammation-induced disruptions! #Gut Health #Fermented Foods #LAB #GutHeath #Probiotics

The fermented cabbage metabolome and its protection against cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers | Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Fermented vegetables are increasingly associated with health benefits. However, the importance of microbial transformations to foods during the fermentation process remains to be determined. We found ...

journals.asm.org

Congratulations 🎉 to Mackenzie Carter on the Sherman Leonard Memorial Award by the Food science and Technology department @ucdavis.bsky.social The fellowship is awarded to Food science students in the memory of Sherman Leonard for his devoted work in preservation & improvement of perishable foods !

Maria joins the ranks of the other fellows in the American Academy of Microbiology! caes.ucdavis.edu/news/fst-pro...

FST Professor Maria Marco Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology

Maria Marco, microbiologist and professor with the Department of Food Science and Technology, has been elected to the 2025 class of fellows for the American Academy of Microbiology. Marco has been wit...

caes.ucdavis.edu

Excited to announce that our undergraduate, Sahana Mohan, received the Provost Undergraduate Fellowship by @ucdavis.bsky.social 🎉, as a support for her research in our lab. Sahana's project will focus on exploring diversity of #LacticAcidBacteria in Indian fermented lentils #FermentedFoods #UCDavis

Thrilled to share our new review article on the health promoting effects of lacto-ferments & bioactive constituents –underlining that consuming safely prepared lacto-ferments serves as a promising strategy to improve & sustain human health doi.org/10.1146/annu... #FermentedFoods #Microbes #Guthealth

Prof. Marco & Dr. Lei Wei spoke about beneficial microbes in fermented foods, impact of diet in efficacy of #Probiotics, effects of fermented vegetables on gut barrier integrity & outreach efforts to promote probiotic foods, at UC Davis FST 10th Annual Symposium #Fermentedfoods #Guthealth #Marcolab

Hello from the Marco Lab! We are a group of researchers from UC Davis. Our lab focuses on the host-microbe interactions of lactic acid bacteria & investigating their roles in determining food safety, food quality & gut health. Check out our website!!! marcolab.ucdavis.edu