Professor Tore Midtvedt, Pioneer of Gut Microbiota and Postbiotics, Passes Away at 91

Dr. Tore Midtvedt, Norwegian physician and pioneer in gut microbiota and postbiotics research, passed away on December 2, 2025, aged 91.

OSLO, OSLO, NORWAY, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Professor Tore Midtvedt was a leading figure in medical microbial ecology and played a crucial role in shaping today’s scientific understanding of how intestinal microorganisms influence human physiology. Over a research career spanning more than five decades, he contributed to important advances in immunology, postbiotics, metabolism, inflammatory bowel conditions, and microbiota-related research.

He served for many years as Professor of Medical Microbial Ecology at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and later as Professor Emeritus. As early as the 1960s, Professor Midtvedt challenged prevailing views that gut bacteria were merely passive organisms. His work is now regarded as part of the foundation of modern microbiome science.

In 1967, he published the landmark paper “The Physiological Significance of the Intestinal Flora,” which helped establish the understanding of the gut microbiota as an active biological system rather than a byproduct of digestion. Research to which Professor Midtvedt contributed within the field of gut microbiota has been published in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, and has also been referenced in international media such as The New York Times.

In May 2008, Professor Tore Midtvedt presented a research project on the gut microbiota and the influence of intestinal bacteria on behavior at the Nobel Symposium, reflecting the growing international recognition of his work and its broader implications.

Professor Midtvedt also played an important role in the development of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), particularly in the treatment of severe and recurrent infections caused by Clostridioides difficile. Through collaboration between Norwegian and Swedish research environments, he contributed to documenting microbiota-based treatment strategies in cases where conventional therapies were insufficient.

In later years, he was among the researchers who helped bring increased scientific attention to the role of bacterial metabolites and signaling molecules - often referred to as postbiotics - and their importance in the interaction between microorganisms and the host’s biological systems. This work has influenced subsequent research-based approaches within microbial ecology and host–microbe interactions.

Throughout his career, Dr. Tore Midtvedt supervised more than 50 doctoral candidates and served for many years as Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease. In recognition of his contributions to medical microbiology, he was appointed Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 2018.

Nordics Co AS states that Dr. Tore Midtvedt’s research has been of importance to the company’s scientific foundation, including its work with research-based concepts related to postbiotics and the scientific framework known as GIVE.

Professor Tore Midtvedt leaves behind a substantial scientific legacy. The team at Biotics™ expresses its deep respect for his life’s work and extends its sincere thoughts to his family, colleagues, and collaborators.

Nicolai Edgar Andersen
Nordics Co AS
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