Maryann Thexton, Bio-az - From thoroughbred racehorse trainer to microbiome health pioneer

After selling her successful beverage company to Coca-Cola many years ago, Maryann Thexton could have easily just put her feet up or travelled the world, but her innate curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit set her on a different path - and our Gold Coast biotech industry is stronger for it. She had switched careers to become a top-flight thoroughbred racehorse trainer (mentored by Gai Waterhouse), when a chance meeting with a microbiologist at a wedding led her into a new venture making products to support the animal gut microbiome. 

Now after many years of research and development, Maryann, the same microbiologist and a team of other founders (all over 60!) have launched Bio-az, a Gold Coast-based nutraceutical company with a suite of world-first, game-changing functional ingredients that can enhance both human and animal health. Their proprietary 'synbiotic' formulas - a blend of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics - are unusually shelf stable and bioavailable, and can be added to a host of different products including foods, beverages, cosmetics, oral and personal care items, supplements and animal medicines. Hear about the ground-breaking new production technologies that have made this possible, and how Bio-az are collaborating with other manufacturers around Australia and the globe to share their science and value add for consumer benefit.