Position Paper Alcimed – The microbiome and its applications: an area of opportunities for innovation

The human microbiome takes on multiple key roles in the smooth operation of the human body. Microbiome has grown to become a popular topic in the scientific community and industries, with consumers now looking for microbiome enrichment for agriculture, food and nutrition, health, and even cosmetic benefits. In this position paper, Alcimed highlights the current status, dynamics, most mature applications and emerging applications related to the microbiome as well as analyzes the driver and opportunities towards microbiome innovation for the future.

The rise of microbiome-related applications

First defined in 1988 by Whipps and Colleagues, microbiome have been a topic of interest for both scientific communities and various industries due to its promising applications. The importance of microbiome has spurred further research on the subject in the past 20 years, as well as boosting the “microbiome market” and private investment into companies and start-ups.

Today, there are multiple mature applications of microbiome which range:

• from prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics for food/nutrition and cosmetics industries,
• healthcare therapeutics applications,
• to agriculture with biofertilizers and biopesticides.

Beyond mature application, there are also promising areas of research ranging from the gut-organ axis, infant/child development, microbiome connections to COVID-19 illness, vaccination response, even healthy ageing and longevity.

Strong potential for the development of microbiome-related offers

With the trends of increasing investment, research output and commercialization, as well as improved awareness from consumers and regulators, the opportunities for microbiome product offerings are immense.

Concomitantly, multi-industrial partnerships and collaborations between private companies and start-ups are vital to approach the multi-faceted dimensions of microbiome innovation that could support the sustainable future.

In this position paper, you will explore:

• Microbiome definition, milestones, and its importance
• The current mature applications and most promising research areas on microbiome in various industries
• The analysis on innovation dynamics, key drivers, and opportunities towards microbiome innovation for sustainable future