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Nestlé partners with CMI on microbiome

To further increase the understanding of the microbiome's impact on human health and to accelerate the development of innovative nutritional solutions promoting health and wellbeing, Nestlé has entered into a partnership with the University of California San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI).

The partnership builds on CMI's microbiome expertise which complements Nestlé’s research capabilities on the connection between nutrition and the gut microbiome.

The microbiome is the vast community of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live on and inside the body. An important part of the microbiome is located in the gut where it is essential to digesting the food we eat, the immune system, and other aspects of health.

Over many years, Nestlé says it has studied the gut microbiome and its evolving composition throughout different life stages, from birth to aging, in humans and pets. This research has been translated into products that the company says help maintain healthy digestion and wellbeing for different populations. The current portfolio includes products containing probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics to improve digestion.

Nestlé has also researched Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), a major component of breastmilk that has been shown to influence early life microbiome establishment and development of the immune system. The findings were leveraged to launch new infant formulas that include HMOs.

"The microbiome is an important research area for us," said Isabelle Bureau-Franz, Head of Nestlé Research. "In addition to the continuous development of our innovative products, we are investing in long-term research enabling us to provide the next generation of personalized nutritional solutions adapted to the individual's microbiome."

The partnership with CMI is said to open new opportunities for accelerating microbiome discoveries through joint research programs and access to scientific and technological capabilities complementing those already existing within the Nestlé research and development network. The partnership will also provide the opportunity to work with young talents in the frame of CMI's PhD student and postdoctoral programs.