In this context of ignorance of the importance of taking care of its microbiome, yogurt is an exception. Consumed by 91 % of French people, it is perceived as an ally of confidence for the health of the intestinal microbiota.
Our eating and life habits are decisive for our symbiosis with the billions of microorganisms that populate our intestine. Our microbiota evolves every day according to what we eat, the place where we live, our level of physical activity or our emotional state.
In return, this community of microorganisms specific to everyone is essential to our health. It helps us digest food and produce essential nutrients. It also shapes our immune system from our birth.
This microbiota also dials with our brain, through a network of several hundred millions of neurons housed throughout our digestive tract. It thus impacts our cognitive development and our mental health.
But this symbiosis is fragile. We speak of dysbiosis when there is an alteration, qualitative or quantitative, of our microbiota. This imbalance promotes the risks of multiple pathologies, such as chronic inflammation, digestive disorders, allergies, obesity or even type 2 diabetes, recalls inserm.
Major food players such as Danone, are constantly investing in research and innovation, in particular in intestinal health research. This involves in particular the analysis and mapping of thousands of microbial profiles around the world.
One of the major objectives of this cutting -edge research is to predict the reaction to the feeding of the various microbiotic profiles, in order to create personalized nutritional solutions.
To live in better health, we can influence the genetic profile of billions of bacteria, viruses and fungi from our intestinal microbiota.
The unique genetic imprint of our microbiota is called the microbiome. It evolves according to the fluctuations of its microbial composition.
This characteristic makes it a health indicator as precious as it is promising. Indeed, it is today possible to analyze this unique genetic signature from a simple sample of stools. Thanks to prediction and analysis models at the crossroads of genome and food analysis, we can draw up a real identity card of our microbial community.
These analyzes make it possible to explore the close links between microbiota, diet and state of health. This field of research thus opens the way to the development of a nutrition always more suited to the needs of each individual, and this in particular via Always more targeted and personalized products according to needs. The objective is thus to manage to optimize our intestinal health, to improve the entire functioning of our body.
In the field of applied research on microbiome and nutrition, Danone is among the pioneers. Through its network of international scientific experts, Danone works every day to feed a health lever accessible to all.
In Singapore, the science of microbiome in the service of local nutritional issues
Beyond its two international research centers & innovations located in Paris Saclay (France) and Utrecht (Netherlands), the group is also based on a global network of specialized poles, including that of Singapore opened in 2018. In Southeast Asia, this hub is distinguished by the accent on digital health and the study of the intestinal microbiota. It is also a pioneer in the development of digital health solutions applied to the microbiota and nutrition.
However, Southeast Asia faces significant and scalable nutritional challenges, especially in children. Infantile malnutrition, growth retardation and iron deficiency affect many families: more than 11 million children under the age of five suffer from anemia in the region. To this is added another major issue: the progressive aging of the population.
It is in this context that Danone established her One Biome Lab in Singapore.
By combining intestinal health research with a fine understanding of regional needs, the group works to develop targeted solutions. This includes, for example, infant milk formulas enriched with symbiotics* to help restore the microbiome of babies born by cesarean, or even improved recipes ** to help the absorption of iron.
The studies of the microbiome carried out locally, combined with the analysis of data by artificial intelligence, thus make it possible to design technologies and nutritional solutions innovative and targeted, adapted to the needs of local populations.
Call the microbiome to personalize nutrition
By mapping the microbiome, researchers can today:
- in depth analyze the complex interactions between microbial species;
- identify their specific metabolic functions;
- Identify new health biomarkers;
- Predict how a given microbiome will react to this or that food, diet or environment.
These tools make it possible to carry out large -scale studies and Danone uses these technologies to analyze thousands of microbiotic profiles around the world.
By crossing this data with eating habits, health and living conditions, teams build predictive models. These include predicting the reaction of each microbiota profile to feed, in order to be able to develop personalized nutritional solutions.
Danone thus focuses on this potential to create nutrition more suited to the needs of each, on a local and global level.
This approach could ultimately allow you to go even further for:
- Improve the immune response in fragile individuals;
- reduce the side effects of certain medical treatments;
- Better support the convalescence of patients with chronic diseases or cancers;
- Or support the growth and immune system of infants.
When the science of the microbiome becomes a daily tool
Expertise in research and innovation at Danone focuses on key areas linked to health, and in particular digestive well-being, also thanks to in-depth knowledge of healthy and accessible health benefits, such as yogurts.
They contain probiotics which, for some, contribute to the balance of the intestinal flora.
Danone goes even further, by integrating the progress of scientific research into accessible digital tools, in order to offer each personalized information on their intestinal health, food and specific needs. The science of the microbiome is thus intended to get out of the laboratories to enter everyday life.
For example, the mobile application ” Stool Tracker »*** Co-developed with pediatric experts, uses AI to analyze the consistency and color of the stools of babies from simple photos. It already helps more than 3 million parents and health professionals to better understand the digestive and nutritional health of children.
Another example of technological innovation carried by Danone experts: the application ” Iron Tracker »****: A unique and non -invasive tool makes it possible to measure the level of hemoglobin to detect anemia. This allows large -scale screening initiatives, for example in medical offices, schools and communities.
Tomorrow, applications developed by various players could offer more personalized food recommendations, according to everyone’s microbiota.
Yes the Danone OneBiome Lab De Singapore embodies the avant-garde of research on the microbiome and personalized nutrition, it represents only one link in the global innovation ecosystem of Danone.
Danone works with more than 2,000 scientists from 50 countries, to transform scientific discoveries into nutritional solutions adapted to all ages and all living conditions.
Based on data from extremely diverse microbiotic profiles, Danone develops an integrated vision of personalized health, where nutrition, biotic science, digital technology and convergent health data to design:
- new generation probiotics;
- personalized nutritional products;
- Digital health applications adapted to the microbiome of each *****.
Danone’s innovations are already deployed in several markets around the world, testifying to their efficiency and their relevance.
Knowledge of the microbiome continues to progress and opens a new path to precision nutrition. As a living and modular impact, it represents a unique scientific lever to decipher, with increasing finesse, the links between food, health and well-being.
As sequencing, data analysis and artificial intelligence technologies are refined, science becomes able to offer ever more personalized nutritional recommendations. The microbiome thus becomes a guide: a predictive tool which guides the development of better targeted products, more suited to the specific needs of each, at each stage of life.
Danone realizes a historical commitment: staying at the forefront of food innovation, in order to make food a health lever for all.
1 Unpublished survey conducted by Ifop and Activia with 1,014 people on the French relationship with their intestinal health – June 2025.
Study methodology: The survey was carried out with a sample of 1,014 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over. The representativeness of the sample was ensured by the quota method (sex, age, profession of the person questioned) after stratification by region and category of agglomeration. The interviews were carried out by self-administered online questionnaire from June 2 to 6, 2025.
* Association between a probiotic and a prebiotic
** Products designed according to the specific needs of infants, taking into account the local context and available in certain regions of the world.
*** Available in France by the end of 2025
**** Application available in 40 countries in Europe, Asia and America
***** This is not a medical advice, ask your health professional for advice.
Article written in partnership with Danone