The inaugural Innov’Biome, which is taking submissions through May 2025, seeks new probiotic strains, postbiotics, next-generation strains and applications that can make lasting impacts on human health and nutrition.
“Collaboration has always been part of our DNA, and now we want to take it to the next level,” said Morgane Maillard, strategic development and open innovation manager at Lallemand Health Solutions.
Participants will be able to capitalize on Lallemand’s knowledge in research, processes, formulation, regulatory and marketing support from production to promotion at the B2B level. The goal is to increase participant presence within the food and dietary supplement markets with their biotic solutions.
Lallemand, a 90-year-old company, specializes in the development, production and marketing of bacteria and yeast-based probiotic supplements for human health. Lallemand’s research program offers its global partners documented probiotic strains and science-based formulations. More than 600 of Lallemand’s probiotic formulas are marketed in over 60 countries on five continents.
Seeking new areas of research
Lallemand said it invites submissions that include both traditional and novel human health applications.
For the healthy aging category, the company said it is looking for organizations that work to mitigate the aging process. The gut microbiome alters as people age, leading to a decrease in microbial diversity and changes that result in altered levels of microbiota-derived metabolites and increased gut permeability. This contributes to systemic inflammation, also known as inflammaging.
This inflammation can negatively impact bone and muscle health, the body’s natural defenses and brain-gut axis communication. Probiotics, synbiotics and postbiotics can help establish a more diverse and balanced gut microbiome, changing the physiological impacts of aging.
“We look for new solutions to help restore age-related declines in gut microbial composition and function, reinforcing intestinal integrity and promoting healthy aging,” Maillard said.
Additional areas of focus
Women face unique health stages: puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause and post-menopause. Probiotics can support women throughout their lives, such as modulating both the vaginal and gut microbiomes. Lallemand said it is exploring new probiotic solutions to benefit women.
As for gut health, the company is still pursuing innovation in that area, including probiotics that benefit everyone from babies to seniors.
“We seek innovations beyond the classic effects on diarrhea-related disorders and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),” Maillard said. “By exploring new and innovative modes of action, probiotics can support gut health in diverse and impactful ways for everyone. Additionally, the gut-organ axes, which connect the gut to other organs like the brain and skin, offer potential benefits by influencing overall health.”
Mélanie Le Barz, open innovation project manager and scientific advisor at Lallemand, added that while gastrointestinal health is still the main reason for probiotic use, new areas require high-quality research with trials tailored to specific populations.
“Both market needs and science are evolving quickly, and we believe that biotic approaches are relevant to support health and quality of life,” she said.