Speaking about the technological advancement during the IPC (19th International Scientific Conference on Probiotics, Prebiotics, Gut Microbiota and Health), in Kraków, Poland, earlier this week (June 22-25, 2026), Aniek Even, principal scientist at OnePlanet Research Center, Netherlands, unveiled the opportunities with ingestible technology.
She noted the sector has been largely reliant on stool sampling, a method which provides only a snapshot of the lower GI with no insights into the upper GI which is arguably more important as it governs nutrient absorption, immune tolerance, and local pathogenic overgrowth.
“Stool is not enough when you want to analyze the microbiome. It captures the lower end of the GI but doesn’t correlate with other elements of the system.”
After six years in development, the GISMO ingestible sensor capsule was first revealed in 2025. Measuring just 2.1 cm in length and 0.75 cm in width—three times smaller than current capsule endoscopes— the capsules allow samples to be collected from the upper GI, as well as tracked analysis of pH, temperature, and redox balance from mouth to excretion.
“The technology takes readings every 20 seconds along its journey, allowing a profile of parameters along the gut,” Even told delegates.
Noting the existence of a number of smart capsules on the market, Even explained the unique element of this development was its ability to capture redox balance, which is a key parameter of gut health.
Redox balance in the gut is the delicate equilibrium between oxidative (damaging) and reductive (protective) molecules. Beneficial bacteria actively produce antioxidant enzymes and metabolites (like short-chain fatty acids) that scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and support the physical integrity of the gut lining.
Oxidative stress has been associated with several diseases and disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), microbiome dysbiosis, GI cancers and even early death in animal models.
Yet, in vivo measurements of this essential biomarker have only been performed in rodents thus far.
Validation study
Even presented findings from a human validation study conducted in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research, in which 15 participants utilized the capsules, capturing a total of 4,000 hours-worth of data.
They were able to pinpoint the location of the pill in real time. This allows them to remotely activate the pill to open and take a sample at the location of interest and then close again to ensure no contamination from lower in the GI tract. It additionally can kil off bacterial activity to ensure a snapshot reading can be analyzed as the sample doesn’t further ferment within the capsule.
Next steps for the team include studies in patients with IBD colorectal cancer, obesity and bariatric surgery.
They are also looking into mucin sensing technology. Even explained the team is developing a mucin coating which will allow the detection of specific enzymes active throughout the GI tract.
Gut bacteria (such as Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides) express specific carbohydrate-active enzymes called glycoside hydrolases. These enzymes allow the microbes to degrade mucin O-glycans and utilize them as a carbon source for survival.
“We built mucin on a sensor, fabricated in a lab, and as it is chewed away in the gut you can measure the activity of the enzymes,” Even told delegates, “so you can then say something about how quickly mucin’s degraded in the gut and you can say something about the microbiome that produced those enzymes.”
The team is further looking into the technology for analysis of the oral microbiome as well as putting the technology into small ingestible beads for mice studies.
Source: Nature Electronics, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-025-01411-4. “Measurements of redox balance along the gut using a miniaturized ingestible sensor”. Authors: Even, A., Minderhoud, R., Torfs, T. et al.
