From May 4th to 6th, partners of the Human Microbiome Action project virtually met for the first time during the projects kick-off meeting. Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the meeting was held online. The start of the project marks an exciting and important moment for the whole microbiome field.

Understanding the microbiome has enormous potential in public health, particularly in the prevention and treatment of many non-communicable diseases. Yet despite promising advances in microbiome research in recent years, meaningful clinical applications, lifestyle recommendations (e.g. personalised medicine and diet) and public health guidance from research outcomes are still lacking. The reasons for the shortfall in the microbiome’s potential are the lack of commonly used and accepted foundational approaches within research and practice that include:

• Standardised approaches for clinical trial design and analytical standards.
• An understanding and agreement of what constitutes a healthy microbiome.
• Means of demonstrating cause and effect in altered host-microbiome
• Processes for the development and application of biomarkers.

The Human Microbiome Action has the overall goal to keep Europe at the forefront of microbiome research and innovation and maximise its impact by ensuring coherence and harmony in the way microbiome research is and will be performed. Therefore, the project will develop a range of guidance documents and recommendations for researchers, public health officials and industry stakeholders to build or provide roadmaps for necessary foundations that allow aligned microbiome research in the future. The aim is to build consensus and commitment across microbiome stakeholder groups for more meaningful research outcomes that translate into products and applications that contribute directly to improved public health in the future.