Patchwork Podcast #09 Martha Carlin: Nobody is engineering probiotics properly
by Kevin Danielson April 06, 2025
In this episode of the Patchwork podcast, Martha Carlin, CEO of BiotiQuest, shares her transformative journey from the tech industry to a microbiome & Parkinson's researcher due to her husband getting Parkinson's at an early age. She discusses the critical role of the microbiome in health, particularly in relation to Parkinson's disease, and the disconnect between medicine, science research and microbiome research. Martha highlights the impact of glyphosate on health, the interconnectedness of food systems, and the importance of probiotics. She also introduces her product, Sugar Shift, which aims to help regulate sugar cravings and improve metabolic health.
09 Martha Carlin: Nobody is engineering probiotics properly by Mac
And how Parkison's is intimately linked to gut function
After spending years studying the microbiome and working alongside scientists investigating how our microbial communities shape health, I've come to believe we're asking the wrong question. The real question isn't simply, How do we add more beneficial bacteria? It's how do we rebuild the diversity we've lost?
If you were to ask a room full of neurologists what causes the progressive damage in Parkinson’s disease, most would point straight to the brain. They would talk about dopamine, tremors, and the accumulation of toxic proteins like alpha-synuclein.
What if your intense sugar cravings, afternoon brain fog, or persistent stress aren't flaws in your willpower, but demands being shouted by a hijacked gut microbiome? And what if the hidden secret to your overall longevity isn't about perfectly tracking a rigid, stressful biohacking routine, but about giving your body the fundamental signal of biological safety?