Insights from Metabolomics and Fermented Foods 2024

Published: Feb 29, 2024 by FME Lab

The recent ‘Metabolomics and Fermented Foods’ seminar organized by the Netherland Metabolomic Centre and held at the Danone Nutricia Global Research & Innovation Center in Utrecht was a melting pot of groundbreaking ideas and discussions, delving deep into the intricate relationship between metabolomics, fermented foods, and gut health. Esteemed experts like Paul Cotter, Guus Roeselers, Barbara Koroušić Seljak, and others shared their invaluable insights, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding of this dynamic field.

Julien shed light on the critical role of the gut microbiome in human health. He emphasized that while diet and lifestyle are significant, the resilience of the microbiome is pivotal in maintaining its structure over a person’s lifetime. His research, involving the analysis of 35,000 human gut microbiome samples, revealed that the microbiome operates in a branching structure, influencing the dynamic interplay between different states.

Julien underscore how effect fermented foods in promoting gut health might depend on gut microbiome states. In addition, using preliminary data from SynthPlex and MetaSimFood, he showed that the interaction between the strains in fermented foods and the metabolites in the food matrix is complex, suggesting that the potential benefits of fermented foods require further exploration.

Slides from Julien’s talk are available here: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04489205

From “synthetic” to defined microbial communities for clearer terminology

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Harnessing gut microbiome diversity for next-generation fermented foods

On June 5, 2026, Julien Tap participated in the INRAE-Tokyo NODAI Joint Symposium on Fermentation and Food Bioscience. This online event brought together researchers from INRAE and the Tokyo University of Agriculture to discuss fermentation microbiology, food bioscience, taste, and microbiome-based approaches to health. More than 100 participants attended the symposium, most of them Japanese students, highlighting the strong interest of the next generation in fermentation and microbiome science.

DOMINO 3rd annual meeting in Madrid

After three years, the #DominoEU project has reached full speed, with significant results across all project objectives. The three-day meeting provided an opportunity to review the very busy year of 2025 and the many key findings that can be leveraged in the coming months.