indigenous species and strains of bacteria that make up the human microbiome, providing greater insight into the role of gut microbial flora. This has generated interest in the development of synbiotics to modify the human microbiome to support weight loss as part of a diet and exercise weight-loss program. Obesity has an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and increased health problems. It is closely linked to the rise in metabolic syndrome – the combination of risk factors that increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke. A reduction of 10% body weight can have a major influence on blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin resistance and other components of the metabolic syndrome. Lifestyle approaches to weight loss have proved to be unsuccessful in ~80% of patients. A typical dieter attempts 4 diets per year. Gut microbiota can modulate adiposity by changing the expression of host genes that are involved in fat storage and oxidation. OptiBiotix has identified probiotic strains and prebiotic ingredients with the potential to moderate energy harvest and gene expression to impact on host adiposity and bring major health benefits. OptiBiotix plans to develop proprietary formulations of synbiotics which could be incorporated into dietary supplements to induce and maintain weight loss.

Metabolic syndrome has been described as the world’s biggest public health problems with over 25% of adults in the UK and USA suffering. More than 2.8 m people die each year as a result of metabolic syndrome. Its occurrence is linked to increasing rates of obesity with weight management programs the cornerstone of management of metabolic syndrome. Limitations in current treatments has prompted research interest in the use of synbiotics as dietary ingredients to aid weight loss, with an effective obesity treatment seen as the world’s greatest unmet healthcare need.The aim of this study is to use recent advances in understanding of the human microbiome (the bacteria in and on the body) to formulate a synbiotic to support weight management in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome as part of a diet and exercise weight-loss program