DOMINO kick-off!

Published: Mar 29, 2023 by FME Lab

DOMINO has kicked off March 27th in Paris by Stéphane Chaillou as coordinator.

Funded by the European Union, DOMINO is focused on the fascinating intersection of fermented foods, the gut microbiome, and human health. The project aims to leverage the microbial diversity of fermented foods to improve their sustainability and propose healthy diet recommendations.

The project will explore the potential benefits of food microbes for environmentally friendly and sustainable food production. To achieve its objectives, DOMINO will employ synthetic ecology approaches, a combination of health models, and input from multiple actors including living labs. The project aims to assess the risk-benefit of both old and new fermented foods.

The results of this project could have significant implications for our understanding of the role of fermented foods in human health and sustainability. By investigating the relationship between fermented foods and the gut microbiome, the project may unlock new dietary recommendations that could benefit our health and the environment.

From “synthetic” to defined microbial communities for clearer terminology

Stéphane Chaillou participated in a joint reflection with a group of international researchers, coordinated by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), on the terminology used to describe certain microbial communities. The collective of experts proposes replacing the term “synthetic community” (or SynCom), sometimes perceived negatively, with “Defined Microbial Community”.

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.