In accordance with the objectives of the East-Macedonia & Thrace (EMTh) Region for the development of innovative, competitive and health-promoting foods & beverages, FOODBIOMES Research Infrastructure aims to study and exploit beneficial microorganisms and plant extracts that positively affect the human microbiome, and thus human health. A number of in vitro and in vivo approaches, as well as clinical trials are used to establish the beneficial properties of microorganisms and plant extracts that subsequently are introduced into a series of foods to enhance their functional activities at a preventive, but also at a therapeutic level.

FOODBIOMES, using the pilot production line for the production of beneficial microorganisms, innovative genomic approaches and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology for the study of the food and human microbiome, provides a series of innovative services to external stakeholders, such as analysis of the food microbiome or microorganisms of interest, study of the effect of bioactive substances on the human microbiome, design of interventions in fermentation processes to modulate the microbiome and increase the productivity and yield, etc, as well as identification and whole genome sequencing of microorganisms and pilot production services of health-promoting microorganisms (probiotics). Additionally, appropriate methodologies are being developed to advance innovative products with positive effects on the human microbiome, using as starting material by-products of the Agri-Food sector, thus enhancing the bio-economy. Moreover, through a series of educational activities, FOODBIOMES contributes to the training of the scientific and research community in one of the cutting-edge fields in the Agri-Food sector, promoting thus, the innovative capacity of local businesses and of the EMTh Region in general.

Finally, within the framework of FOODBIOMES, services on research and development are provided, contributing to the EMTh objective, which is the improvement of the Regional added value by adapting mature organizational and promotional innovations, including strengthening and upskilling of human resources.

The Democritus University of Thrace Team