Dr Yosep Ji, co-founder and CEO of HEM (Human Effective Microbes) Pharma, is the latest guest of our Nutrachampion podcast. The company was founded in year 2016 together with his graduate studies academic advisor, Dr Wilhelm Holzapfel, professor teaching biology at Handong Global University, who was originally from Germany. Dr Holzapfel is currently the chief technology officer at HEM Pharma. ​ ​ ​ In year 2020, the firm clinched its biggest commercial project to date with Amway Global after pitching the concept of PMAS. The aim of the partnership is to develop personalised probiotics that support gut-health related benefits. This includes immunity, weight management, brain health, skin health, and more, Amway announced back then. Fast forward to 2022, Amway Korea launched ​ – a precision probiotics service that works on PMAS. This year, HEM Pharma was also selected by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in a five-year project aimed at setting guidelines for the country’s personalised nutrition industry. Asked the biggest hurdle that needs to be overcome for the personalised nutrition sector to flourish, Dr Ji believes that having a large database is key. ​ ​ ​ ​. ​he said. Within a year, more than 35,000 microbiome testing kits have been sold under My Lab by Nutrilite. From there on, HEM Pharma has managed to collect over 21,000 human microbiome data. Dr Ji said that this has exceeded the country’s largest human microbiome database to date. Led by Korea Food Research Institute, the database has collected about 4,000 human microbiome data over five years. ​ ​he said. Similarly, when setting guidelines for the country’s personalised nutrition industry, he said that a large database could help to set the parameters of what is considered “good” and “bad” health. ​ ​ Listen to the podcast to find out more.