The symposium, now celebrating its 11th year, brings together pioneers in microbiome science and business over three days. Here’s what attendees can expect from a jam-packed, expert-led program.
Postbiotics, Probiota Pioneers and gut-brain insights
To kick off the event, the opening ‘Postbiotics’ session will focus on the growing potential of postbiotics as a valuable tool for microbiome modulation.
Despite ongoing debate about the ISAPP definition, there is widespread enthusiasm about the scientific advancements in postbiotics and their potential to offer greater formulation flexibility compared to probiotics.
The session will explore all aspects of the emerging postbiotics category, offering practical insights and identifying key opportunities for the coming decade.
The second session will focus on three innovative early-stage companies which have all been awarded the title of Probiota Pioneer.
The winning startups—Alba Health, Migalis ApS and Perseus Biomics—will showcase their pioneering solutions, followed by a panel discussion that will explore their visions and experiences as entrepreneurs in this field.
Finally, a session on the microbiota-gut-brain axis, the two-way interaction between the gut and the nervous system, will explore opportunities to influence mental health, mood, sleep, stress management, cognitive performance and more.
Experts will address what current research reveals about these connections and the potential of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics as therapies for neurodegenerative conditions.
The networking lunch, refreshment breaks and cocktail reception that day also offer valuable opportunities for delegates to connect with peers.
Market insights, microbiome innovations, and party time
Day two will begin with an optional 5K run or walk hosted by Diamond Partner Novonesis. The event is for all fitness levels and will take place rain or shine.
The first session of the day will focus on the state of the market. While the pandemic increased interest in microbiome-related products and drove record sales for many companies, market slowdowns caused by inflationary pressures and geopolitical uncertainty have prompted a shift in consumer priorities and spending.
Experts will explore key areas such as which categories are generating the most interest, developments in the prebiotic space and the evolving role of postbiotics and synbiotics in shaping consumer choices.
Next up, speakers will explore the “pantryome” concept, proposed by Dr. Jeremy Burton, which is based on the idea of community sharing of nutritional metabolites produced by the microbiome.
This concept has important implications for health, wellness and disease as we need to think about the microbial community as a whole and not just an individual bacterium. This session will explore microbial ecology and how targeting this community can influence health.
At lunch, delegates and speakers will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful roundtable discussions on topics including the gut-brain axis, women’s health, probiotics and weight management, mental health, healthy aging, social media and marketing to consumers.
The returning session will explore innovation in next-gen probiotics, diving into recent advances in sequencing and culturing of microbes from other genus which has led to intense interest in novel, so-called next generation strains.
This session aims to explore which species and strains have the potential to disrupt the market in the near term and will explore where new science is taking the industry.
Next up, panelists will explore the microbiome as central player in healthy aging and the potential of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in this space. The discussion will delve into the cutting edge research and examine how the microbiome may offer a way to boost healthspan and longevity, particularly its impacts on immunosenescence and cognition.
Concluding day two will be the highlight of Probiota’s social calendar—an evening of relaxation, connection and fun. Hosted by the Diamond Partners, this year’s event will transform the Bella Center into the ultimate social event venue, with Danish cuisine from food trucks, a live band, drinks and a photo booth!
Morning yoga, microbiome insights for athletes, AI innovations and future trends
Day three will kick off with optional morning yoga, hosted by Diamond Partner IFF. This event is designed to energize delegates for the final day of the conference, and it is open to all skill levels. With limited space and subject to availability, the class will include meditation, breathwork, flowing warm-up postures and mindfulness exercises.
The first session of the day will focus in on microbiome modulation for athletic performance. It is well known that elite athletes have a distinct microbiome compared to non-athletes, and using this knowledge, this session will explore how prebiotics and probiotics can be to improve performance and recovery in non-athletes.
Speakers will review the current science, discuss the potential of studying the microbiomes of elite athletes to develop next-generation probiotics and postbiotics and examine the broader applications of microbiome analysis and modulation in elite sports.
Next up, a session on bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational science will explore the advantages and challenges of the technologies reshaping daily life and how to progress alongside them.
Bioinformatics, AI and ML have become common topics, offering practical benefits like task automation, improved data-driven decision-making, enhanced customer experiences and increased productivity across industries.
While these tools help businesses make accurate predictions, optimize operations and tailor services to individual needs, they also present challenges, such as data privacy risks, algorithmic biases and the demand for large datasets and powerful computing resources.
The IPA World Congress + Probiota will conclude with a dynamic quick-fire panel discussion, titled “Looking to the future”. Panelists will share their key takeaways, highlight the major issues they are monitoring in the microbiome space over the next 12 months and pose one burning question to industry.
Get Your Tickets for IPA World Congress + Probiota 2025
There’s still time to get tickets for the IPA World Congress + Probiota 2025! Book your place today, and don’t miss the chance to take advantage of the valuable microbiome insights and networking opportunities.