The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is marking more than 100 years of research into probiotics and the discovery of beneficial microbes. One significant achievement was the development of Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS®-1, which continues to be one of the most popular probiotic strains in the world. By 2018, when the Nebraska Food for Health Center was established, over 50 faculty, staff, and students were actively researching gut health. That same year, a new 5,000 square-foot facility was built, including a gut biology lab, a clinical research center, an analytical lab, and other specialized research spaces.
Synbiotic Health was founded in 2018 by four leading microbiome researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Dr. Bob Hutkins, Dr. Andy Benson, Dr. Jens Walter, and Dr. Tom Burkey, who together have over 100 years of experience in the field. Tim Brummels joined the company as CEO in 2019. Their signature probiotic strain, iVS-1®, was discovered in the university’s research labs and is exclusively licensed to Synbiotic Health. The company’s mission is to develop vital probiotic microbes aimed at improving quality of life, supporting healthy aging, and enhancing overall human health
Synbiotic Health, in close coordination with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has amassed a large collection of human-origin strains, as well a unique portfolio of canine-derived strains.
Human strains
900 isolates, sequenced and identified
200 Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains
20 strains currently undergoing pre-clinical testing
8 strains in pilot fermentation & scale up
3 strains selected for human clinical trials
Canine strains
355 isolates, sequenced and identified
245 different genera of interest
60 strains growth characterization examined
15 strains in preclinical testing
5 strains undergoing in vivo examination