Volume 88, Issue Suppl., September (2002), pp. s1-s2 © The Author 2002
doi:10.1079/BJN2002668

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Preface and acknowledgements

‘As soon as he is born, man becomes the habitat of a very rich microbial flora. The skin, the mucous membranes and the gastrointestinal contents become stocked with such a flora, but a very small number of these microorganisms have up to the present been recognised or described. For long it was thought that in healthy individuals all these microorganisms were inoffensive and sometimes even useful.’

Elie Metchnikoff (1905)

The Yakult International Conference, Probiotics & Health 2001, The Three Ages of Man was held at The Royal College of Physicians in London on 13–14 September 2001. This conference presented a broad overview of the current understanding and latest developments in the application of probiotics in the maintenance of health and reduction of risk of disease. The sub-themes of the conference were the role of probiotics in early development, in adult health and an evaluation of their potential role in cancer risk reduction. The papers in these proceedings truly reflect the wide nature of research work that is being undertaken and the advances that have been achieved particularly in the therapeutic application of probiotics.

Conference scientific advisory board

Professor Glenn Gibson, University of Reading, UK

Professor C. Jeyakumar Henry, Oxford Brookes University, UK

Dr John Marks, University of Cambridge, UK

Professor Philippe Marteau, European Hospital George Pompidou, Paris, France

Emeritus Professor Marcel Roberfroid, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Professor Ian Rowland, University of Ulster, UK

Professor Jurgen Schrezenmeir, Institute of Physiology, Kiel, Germany

Professor Colette Shortt, Yakult, UK

Conference faculty

Chairmen

Professor Peter Aggett, University of Central Lancashire, UK

Professor Michael Hill, South Bank University, UK

Dr John Marks, University of Cambridge, UK

Professor Seppo Salminen, University of Turku, Finland

Speakers

Dr Alojz Bomba, Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Slovak Republic

Dr Michael de Vrese, Institute of Physiology, Kiel, Germany

Dr Christine Edwards, University of Glasgow, UK

Professor Glenn Gibson, University of Reading, UK

Professor Erika Isolauri, University of Turku, Finland

Professor Yuan-Kun Lee, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Dr Jennifer Madden, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, UK

Professor Philippe Marteau, European Hospital George Pompidou, Paris, France

Dr Anne McCartney, University of Reading, UK

Professor Yasuo Ohashi, University of Tokyo, Japan

Professor Joseph Rafter, Karolinska Institute, Sweden

Professor Ian Rowland, University of Ulster, UK

Professor Fergus Shanahan, Cork University Hospital, Ireland

Professor John Warner, University of Southampton, UK

Dr Anthony Wynn, University of Reading, UK

Acknowledgements

This supplement contains twelve papers and seventeen abstracts from those presented at the conference. I would like to thank the authors for their contributions and particularly for devoting their time and effort within such a tight timeframe. My thanks to Professor Keith Frayn, supplements editor for the British Journal of Nutrition, for his guidance and sterling support throughout the project. I would also like to express thanks to Professor C. Jeyakumar Henry, Oxford Brookes University, UK, Dr John Marks, University of Cambridge, UK and Dr Alison Stephen, Cantox, Canada for their contributions to the reviewing and editorial process. Thanks are also extended to Professor Marcel Roberfroid, University of Louvain, Belgium, Dr Graham Horgan, Rowett Research Institute, Scotland and Mr Arthur Healy, CABI, UK for their assistance. I would also like to thank Ms Angela Hoffmann, Ms Brigid McKevith and Ms Daniella Shaw, Yakult UK for assistance in the coordination of the conference and proceedings.

Colette Shortt

On behalf of the Conference Scientific Advisory Board

References

Metchnikoff E (1905) Immunity in Infective Diseases. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press