DOMINO: Advancing Food Microbiome Science Across Europe

Published: Nov 19, 2024 by FME Lab

The DOMINO project is at the forefront of connecting microbiome science, food systems, and health in Europe. Recent activities highlight how DOMINO is driving innovation and fostering collaboration:

Living Labs: At a Brussels event hosted by Ferments du Futur and partners, DOMINO showcased how Living Labs bring together researchers, producers, regulators, and consumers. These labs explore fermented foods like legumes in France and water kefir in Ireland, uncovering knowledge gaps and emphasizing the importance of consumer feedback in food innovation.

Stakeholder Forum: DOMINO launched its Stakeholder Forum with a webinar by Dr. Magali Cordaillat-Simmons, focusing on regulatory science for microbiomes. This platform ensures DOMINO’s research aligns with societal needs, promoting open dialogue on fermented foods and microbiome advances.

DOMINO is animating food microbiome science by combining interdisciplinary research, consumer engagement, and cross-sector collaboration, driving Europe toward healthier, more sustainable food systems.

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.