My Baby Biome Study: A Data-Driven Approach to Infant Probiotic Development

The infant microbiome plays a vital role in immune development, with a critical early-life window where gut microbial imbalances can significantly impact health. To address gaps in existing datasets, Persephone Biosciences conducted the My Baby Biome (MBB) study, enrolling approximately 700 infants to explore microbiome composition and its implications for probiotic development.

• Infants have three distinct enterotypes: Bifidobacterium-dominated, Bacteroides-dominated, and Proteobacteria/Firmicute-dominated.
• Feeding mode does not substantially drive microbial composition, suggesting microbiome composition may have a large impact on the benefits reaped from breast milk.
• Microbiome composition is strongly linked to metabolites like ILA, suggesting its role in modulating infant development.
• Persephone leverages AI and ex vivo gut environments to investigate how its strains impact microbial composition and function.

These findings highlight the presence of three distinct infant enterotypes and suggest that microbiome composition, rather than feeding mode, plays a key role in maximizing breast milk benefits and influencing infant development. Persephone's use of AI and ex vivo gut environments provides valuable insights into how specific strains impact microbial composition and function.