Microbiome ecology, pioneers, maternal & infant health, and prebiotics headline Probiota Americas Day 1

Probiota Americas 2025, hosted by NutraIngredients-USA at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, June 9-11, will feature world-leading experts presenting the latest scientific, technical, regulatory, business and market insights.

The three-day conference takes a magnifying glass to the microbiome space, what areas are growing and in which direction.

Microbiome ecology

Day 1 (June 9) kicks off with a keynote presentation by Professor Jack Gilbert from the University of California San Diego on Translating Microbiome Research for Precision Health. He will explore the different ways in which microbiome research is being translated into clinical practice, providing a few key examples and an analysis of the state of clinical trials that underpin the next generation of microbiome technology deployment into healthcare and commercial direct to consumer activity.

Understanding the ecology of the microbiome is vital to understanding and informing if microbiome modulators will beneficially impact health. Dr. Nikos Kyrpides, head of microbiome data science at the Joint Genome Institute at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will explore his lab’s latest findings in this area and how this affects colonization.

Dr. Thomas Guilliams, senior scientific advisor at Vidya, will takes us on a deep dive into Akkermansia, one of the hottest genera of next-generation probiotics, and its role in metabolic wellness and gut integrity.

Probiota Pioneers

Every year, NutraIngredients turns the spotlight on three innovative early-stage companies to showcase their solutions on stage. The 2025 Probiota Americas Pioneers are Hydrosome Labs, Nūmi and Trilliome.

We’ll also hear from Cheryl Sew Hoy, founder and CEO of Tiny Health, one of our 2023 Probiota Pioneers, to catch up on the company’s evolution and learn from their successes and challenges.

Maternal and Infant Health

The maternal and infant nutrition space is providing a wealth of new and inspiring scientific studies, with fascinating insights into how a baby’s first 1,000 days is a period of major developmental changes in body organs—the gastrointestinal tract and immune system in particular. But where is the emerging science headed for microbiome modulation for mother and baby? How can findings be translated into health recommendations and commercial opportunity? This session will explore the latest science and innovation during this critical stage of life.

Attendees will hear from one of the leading researchers in this field: Dr. Lars Bode, professor of pediatrics at the University of California San Diego and founding director of university’s Human Milk Institute (HMI). He will explore glycans and microbes at intersections of the mother-milk-infant triad.

Following Dr. Bode’s presentation, Dr. Martin Kullen, vice president of human health science and innovation at Novonesis, will discuss the expanding potential of synbiotics to support infant health and beyond.

Probiota Americas is delighted to then welcome Dr. Gabby Tender, associate officer o microbiome products at Gates Foundation to explore maternal Microbiome Directed Interventions to Improve Pregnancy and Infant Outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

Wrapping up the session, Dr. Bode will be joined for a panel discussion by Eden Banon, CEO of Nūmi, Jordi Riera, CBO Probiotics at Kaneka Probiotics, and Tiny Health’s Cheryl Sew Hoy.

Oral probiotics

Dr. Zhanxi Hao, vice president of R&D at BioGrowing, will lead attendees through a presentation on oral health, which he describes as the next frontier of probiotics.

Prebiotics

The first day ends with an extensive look at the market and science of prebiotics, a market that is predicted to be worth US$ 21.2 billion globally by 2030. Prebiotics are not just about boosting Bifidobacteria anymore—there is increasing attention being paid to prebiotics that can boost other beneficial microorganisms like Akkermansia, F. prau, among others, and at ever-smaller doses? Despite the advances, there are still several big knowledge gaps, particularly around mechanisms of action and how prebiotic structure affects function.

Introducing the session, Alyssa Williams, food and beverage category insights manager at Spate, will explore consumer perceptions of prebiotics and give delegates an inside look into what’s driving the prebiotics conversation on Google and TikTok.

We’ll then shift to explore how the IPA’s views on prebiotics with Dr. Koen Venema, microbiome expert at Wageningen University and Research. Dr. Venema will weave together scientific insights with regulatory hurdles and production technologies of prebiotics, with the aim of unifying prebiotic application.

We’ll close out Day 1 with a panel discussion titled, “Prebiotics: An Expanding Toolbox for Expanded Opportunities” featuring Dr. Julie Daoust, chief science officer at M2 Ingredients, Dr. Bob Hutkins, professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska and scientific co-founder at Synbiotic Health, and Dr. Venema.

Probiota Americas

Other key themes include: Engineering microorganisms (CRISPR and Genetic Engineering), the state of the market, investor insights, personalization, weight management, identification and enumeration, the regulatory landscape in North America and our closing Future Focus panel.

For more information and to register, please click HERE.