OpenDialog March 2026 – Issue One

Patient outcomes may depend on science that’s moving faster than any of us can track. OpenBiome Foundation’s monthly newsletter cuts through the noise – delivering focused conversations with leading researchers and clinicians on the microbiome discoveries most relevant to your practice. The first edition features Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, MD, Associate Director for Science in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of the foremost experts in Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) epidemiology.

STAT Feature Article: By Eric Boodman

March 23, 2026

By Neil Stollman, MD

Stollman is chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and works at the East Bay Center for Digestive Health, both in Oakland, California.

Twenty years ago, a respected colleague asked me to perform a “poop transplant” on a local schoolteacher with multiply recurrent C. difficile infection.  I was incredulous and skeptical, but my colleague (a friend but a forceful one) persisted until I ultimately acquiesced. 

Today, we are proud to share the next chapter of our journey: OpenBiome is becoming the OpenBiome Foundation. With this transition, we renew and refocus our commitment to accelerating microbiome science and ensuring its benefits reach those who need them most. 

July 16, 2025 (Woburn, MA) —Today, the pioneering nonprofit OpenBiome, becomes the OpenBiome Foundation – a bold evolution designed to fuel innovation, and ensure microbiome science delivers real impact for people all over the world. The shift reflects a changing regulatory environment while expanding on early successes and expertise.   

What motivated you to study the microbiome in rural Paraguay? 

Only recently were we able to decipher the Paraguayan gut microbiome — and that research was limited to urban populations in the Asunción metro area. Until then, no other work had been done with a Paraguayan population, meaning Paraguay was vastly underrepresented in microbiome studies. Since microbiomes can vary significantly across populations, the next logical step in my goal to put Paraguay on the microbiome map was to begin studying rural communities. 

OpenBIome CEO, Julie Barrett O’Brien, accepting the GBC Health Futurist award at during UNGA. The award recognizes “future seeking, innovating, ‘ahead of the curve’ companies that stand to change the future of global health.”  “We are honored to accept this award,” said O’Brien, “and will use this platform to build a more equitable and inclusive system for microbiome scientists across the globe.”

“More than a decade ago, little was known about the myriad of microorganisms that live happily inside and on our bodies. Now researchers believe they could change the future of human health.”

“Controversy rages over the future of fecal microbiota transplants, or FMT. Human feces are a potential gold mine, for both medical researchers and drug makers.”

“By focusing on what’s coming out of patients’ rear ends, a growing body of scientific research has highlighted the crucial role the microbiome plays in human health.”

“Discover everything from regular soap versus anti-bacterial, the hygiene hypothesis and the rise of auto-immune diseases, and explore both fecal transplants and helminthic therapy.”

As the CEO of nonprofit OpenBiome, Barrett O’Brien is advancing microbiome science and therapeutics to improve health for all.