Ever wondered what goes on in the microbiome when your bacteria break down fibre? Curious about the difference between fibre supplements and eating a whole food plant based diet? Want to understand more of the science behind fibre degradation? Well, you've come to the right podcast! On this episode of the Plant Powered Gut Show, I interview Dr. Julie Grondin, expert on all things fibre and the bacteria that break them down. Julie did her PhD in biochemistry at Queen's University, where she studied the structure and function of enzymes produced by pathogenic gut bacteria. Next, she spent 3 years working as a postdoctoral fellow at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and she has now been a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia for 3 years. Over her career, she has used a range of techniques (like bioengineering, structural biology, microbiology) to study how species of bacterial in the human gut recognize and degrade various forms of dietary fibre. Julie is passionate about science education and outreach and she volunteers with the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology, mentoring female high school students about choosing and navigating careers in STEM. She is also teaching a course at UBC called Communicating Science, where she teaches students how to communicate science to fellow scientists, as well as the general public. Julie is also an avid cook and baker, she loves cycling and yoga, and she get over to Vancouver Island whenever possible to enjoy the open spaces, the ocean, and the wilderness. Julie has  been vegan for 5 years. The Good Gut book : https://www.amazon.ca/Good-Gut-Taking-Control-Long-term/dp/0143108085 Find Julie on Twitter: @jmlgrondin