Gastric bypass surgery is the most effective form of treatment for morbid obesity and a familiar term to most of us, but until recently, the underlying mechanism that makes it so successful has been largely misunderstood. Most people—including health professionals—attribute the weight loss that follows from this surgery to reduced stomach size and therefore reduced food intake and malabsorption, but the evidence is pointing elsewhere: to the changes in gut microbiota that occur after the surgery. Hasan Celiker is the founder and chief executive officer of Xeno Biosciences, a company that’s using what they’ve learned about the effectiveness of gastric bypass surgery to develop an alternative and significantly less invasive form of treatment for obesity: an oral pill that mimics the changes in gut microbiota that occur after the surgery, allowing for weight loss and a significant reduction in conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes and fatty liver disease. Celiker delves into the details of digestive mechanisms, the differences between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and the role of each in the microbiome, how and where in the body Xeno Bioscience’s pill takes effect, and the metabolic changes brought about by both the pill and the surgery. Hit play and visit xenobiosciences.com to learn more.