Analysis of the Microbiome: Method Standardization and Data Reproducibility

Event organized by CIRI – Interdepartmental Centers for Industrial Research.

The CIRI (Interdepartmental Centers for Industrial Research) at the University of Bologna are university facilities established to foster industrial research, innovation, and technology transfer in collaboration with local businesses. The CIRI network is part of the Emilia-Romagna High Technology Network.

CIRI Agri-Food (CIRI Agroalimentare): Delivers process and product solutions for the agri-food supply chain, operating out of the Cesena Campus.

CIRI Life Sciences and Health Technologies (CIRI SDV): Covers the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare service sectors.

Session Overview

Microbiome research continues to grow rapidly, gaining critical importance across diverse domains—from industrial manufacturing to disease development and therapeutic response. However, study reproducibility and comparability remain significantly limited, hindering the ability to establish rigorous scientific claims.

In this context, innovative yet validated methodologies, reference facilities, and appropriate technical standards can accelerate research and advance method application in both scientific and regulatory spheres. Furthermore, it is increasingly crucial that sample collection guarantees pre-analytical standards aligned with downstream analytical precision, capturing an accurate snapshot of the microbial community at the exact time of sampling.

This session will explore the In Vitro Microbial Intestinal Digestion System (MICODE). An overview of the MICODE system for evaluating probiotic, prebiotic, synbiotic, and postbiotic properties. Speakers will cover functional principles and key applications across foods, ingredients, dietary supplements, and xenobiotics, highlighting its value as both a preclinical assessment tool and a strategic driver for product and process innovation.

After that, The AlmaMicrobiome Biobank: An introduction to the newly established AlmaMicrobiome biobank at the University of Bologna. Built to operate in compliance with international quality benchmarks, including ISO 20387 (Biobanking) and CEN/TS 17626 (pre-analytical requirements for human samples intended for DNA extraction in microbiome analysis).

Program

 The event will be held in Italian

 English translation available (see below)