For millennia, humans have been reliant on microorganisms for optimal health; it has only been in the recent past that we have understood the critical role of the microbiome. The gut microbiome in particular has been a target, with researchers looking at the potential to increase levels of beneficial organisms and support their function. In this Vitafoods Europe edition of the Vitafoods Insights podcast, Professor Alojz Bomba, head of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, at Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice Slovakia, and president of the International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics, discusses how modulating the gut microbiome could optimize human health. Prof Bomba will be speaking at Vitafoods Europe as part of the “Fixing the gut” workshop in the Conference program; his talk, “Modulating the gut microbiota for improved health, disease prevention and treatment,” will take place at 10:30am on Wednesday 2 September.