Probiotics processing conditions and their impact on biological activities.

Objectives: The overall objective of this PhD project will be to evaluate and prioritize the role of different processing parameters on probiotic biological activity, using selected model strains. Based on the outcomes, we aim at developing a workflow that could be applied to other probiotic strains and would facilitate optimization of the probiotic production based on efficacy rather than only viable cells. Workpackage 1: validation of the academic equivalence dossier by obtaining 12 ECTS points Workpackage 2: Impact of processing parameters on probiotic physiology and biological activity - B. longum NCC 2705 as the first model strain Workpackage 3: Impact of processing parameters on probiotic physiology and biological activity of two additional Bifidobacterium strains, genetically close to and more distant of NCC 2705 Workpackage 4: “In vivo demonstration and correlation with in vitro assays” Workpackage 5: Impact of processing parameters on probiotic physiology and biological activity of selected Lactobacillus strains Workpackage 6: Impact of the processing on the behavior of the probiotic strain in the gut microbiome.