Professor Best and his team at Biopharm HQ
causes discomfort such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and even worse, auto-immune diseases such as Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), Chrohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. “There is rapidly growing interest in modifying gut bacteria as a potential route to improving human health. We have joined forces with the Medical Research Council’s Human Nutrition Research unit in Cambridge to evaluate whether we can beneficially shift the balance of certain bacterial populations of our intestines with EndoSeaRch™ - the oral delivery of specially designed synthetic minerals.
“Our initial studies are very promising and we are confident that EndoSeaRch™ will be the basis of a new generation of digestive health-promoting products. These may include food supplements and ingredients for humans and farm animals, as well as novel medicines that could lead to better treatment, or even prevention of, human gut diseases. EndoSeaRch™ is a patented technology we developed in the lab for stimulating bacteria to make the full range of self- defence bio-chemicals they produce in response to stress. The bio-chemicals produced by the bacteria include a wide range of natural anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti- oxidant agents.
“In terms of cardiovascular diseases we looked at the blood of marine extracts and noticed that it naturally prevents the aggregation of platelets that when combined with ‘bad cholesterol’ create plaques and blockages in your arteries. We are now testing a number of marine extracts that are rich in natural chemicals that will reduce and potentially even prevent this type of cardiovascular risk.
“There is one vegetable derived product on the market that already helps prevents platelets from sticking together but
12 entrepreneurcountry
we know that our extracts will have the enhanced effects to also prevent bad cholesterol build up and help protect the arteries in old age.”
Aquapharm’s recent discoveries were proving to be revolutionary in terms of treating and even curing a collection of human diseases. However, I was keen to ask Professor Best what he thought of accusations that Biotech firms solved first world illnesses over wider spread third world health concerns, as they were more likely to gain vast amounts of funding. Wondering what stance he took on the argument, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Simon had in fact contributed to a host of philanthropic efforts outside of the Western world, taking his technology and expertise and making a global impact.
“After spending the first part of my career in the Food and Agricultural world, which I got out of in the late 90s, I was asked by DFID if I would represent the UK on the board of ICRISAT - the Agricultural research centre in India that works to develop the most drought proof crops for farmers on the edges of deserts. I gave several weeks a year of my time to help that effort and show them what technology is available from within leading industrial companies and help them to access that for crops like millet and pigeon-peas, which are not international commodities but are desperately needed to keep people alive on the southern edge of the Sahara and in Asian deserts.
“I did that for seven years and I then became a trustee of the World Potato Centre in Peru. We protect the world’s emergency collection of potatoes and have a big program to increase vitamin A in sweet potatoes in particular. With the help of the Gates Foundation we are starting to make
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