Probi AB, Lund, Sweden, has entered a four-year collaborative research agreement with Professor Michiel Kleerebezem at the Host Microbe Interactomics Group at Wageningen University. The aim of the collaboration is to clarify mechanisms of action for anti-inflammatory activity of probiotic bacteria in order to enable a continued development of novel effective probiotic products.
 
Probi develops and markets probiotics for supplements and functional foods predominantly targeting immune function and gastrointestinal health. Probi´s ambition is to acquire an in-depth understanding of mechanisms of action of beneficial commensal bacteria, in order to continue to develop probiotic strains within new areas of benefit for the consumer.
 
The Host Microbe Interactomics Group at the Wageningen University combines expertise in cell biology, immunology, microbiology and functional genomics to increase the understanding of molecular interactions occurring in the cross-talk between microbes and their hosts. Its research ranges from work on the molecular mechanisms of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria to the interactions between beneficial bacteria and their hosts.
 
Together Probi and the Host Microbe Interactomics Group at Wageningen University now want to study the physiological relevance and health-beneficial effects of various probiotic strains both in vitro and in vivo. The collaboration covers a four-year PhD project plan, and aims to provide proof of concept for the physiological relevance of new probiotic strains in the attenuation of intestinal inflammation, which plays a pivotal role in various pathologic conditions.
 
“Probi is a company that understands how important it is to define and clarify the probiotic products’ mechanisms of action. That view was the main reason that we started to discuss a collaboration,” stated Michiel Kleerebezem, Professor at Wageningen University & Research Centre in the Netherlands.
 
“We see this collaboration as an important step in our future product development, and are pleased to announce the collaboration with Professor Kleerebezem and his group. I personally believe that this project will lead to a much better understanding of anti-inflammatory probiotics and provide an opportunity for Probi to develop novel products in new and interesting fields,” said Peter Nählstedt, CEO of Probi AB.
 
The information is such that Probi AB must disclose in accordance with the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act.