Beneficial Microbes

Aims and scope Beneficial Microbes is a peer-reviewed scientific journal with a specific area of focus: the promotion of the science of microbes beneficial to the health and wellbeing of man and animal. The journal contains original research papers and critical reviews in all areas dealing with beneficial microbes in both the small and large intestine, together with opinions, a calendar of forthcoming beneficial microbes-related events and book reviews. The journal takes a multidisciplinary approach and focuses on a broad spectrum of issues, including safety aspects of pro- & prebiotics, regulatory aspects, mechanisms of action, health benefits for the host, optimal production processes, screening methods, (meta)genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, host and bacterial physiology, application, and role in health and disease in man and animal. Beneficial Microbes is intended to serve the needs of researchers and professionals from the scientific community and industry, as well as those of policy makers and regulators.

The journal has the following major sections:
- Food, nutrition and health
- Animal nutrition
- Processing and application
- Regulatory and safety aspects
- Medical and health applications

In these sections, topics dealt with by Beneficial Microbes include:
- Worldwide safety and regulatory issues
- Human and animal nutrition and health effects
- Latest discoveries in mechanistic studies and screening methods to unravel mode of action
- Host physiology related to allergy, inflammation, obesity, etc.
- Trends in application of (meta)genomics, proteomics and metabolomics
- New developments in how processing optimizes pro- and prebiotics for application
- Bacterial physiology related to health benefits

Editorial statement
Beneficial microbes are all around us: in our food and inside our body. We benefit from their presence every day. For instance, the beneficial effects of probiotics have already been recognized for a long time. History is replete with examples of evidence of probiotic-associated health effects. This started in modern science with Metchnikoff some 100 years ago, who ascribed the long life of Bulgarians to the consumption of yoghurt. Before that, in the Persian bible the longevity of Ibrahim (Abraham) is ascribed to the daily consumption of fermented milk. More recently, the activity and composition of the endogenous microbiota inside our gastro-intestinal tract has been studied. Yet, to appreciate the role of the endogenous microbiota in health and disease, this first required the development of molecular DANN methods to be able to study ist molecular ecology. This has led to the recognition of the importance of (members of the) endogenous microbiota in various diseases and disorders, such as colon cancer, inflammatory diseases, and irritable bowel syndrome. Even non-gut related disorders, such as obesity, atopic eczema and even autism have been correlated with the composition and activity of the microbiota. This microbiota is crucial in the development of the immune system, and ist establishment from birth onwards has been considered important for health and disease later in life.

Multidisciplinary in-depth research, targeted at developing knowledge about many aspects of beneficial microbes, has resulted in tens of thousands of publications, several relevant books and dedicated workshops and conferences. It remains to be seen whether all diseases and disorders can be prevented or treated with beneficial microbes, being either probiotics, or, through the use of dietary components such as prebiotics, by modulation of the activity and composition of the endogenous microbiota. Nevertheless, it is our expectation that, through the development of novel tools and technologies, such as the use of stable isotopes in this research area, the mechanism of action of pro- and prebiotics and the benefits of beneficial microbes will be unravelled in the near future.

The creation of Beneficial Microbes witnesses the continuous and intensive interest in the scientific community for this multi-faceted subject area, and of the many activities that take place, e.g. those undertaken by international organisations and within thematic interlaboratory research and networking projects. The journal aims to bring together those active in various disciplines and to offer a platform for the publication of scientific work on beneficial microbes, and for the discussion and debate of ist contents. It has the ambition of strengthening the networks of experts in the area and of contributing significantly to the recognition of these microbial friends for human and animal health. Beneficial Microbes has the ambition to be the most up-to-date international journal for those who need to be informed of the latest and most important developments in the field.