Launch of BioTransform: Mapping the Uncharted Human Metabolism for Novel Food Bioactives

A new EU-funded project, BioTransform, has officially launched. Funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, BioTransform will train 11 doctoral candidates to investigate how health-promoting constituents in food – known as food bioactives (FB) – are metabolised in the human gut and how these metabolites influence health. Running from November 2025 to October 2029, BioTransform brings together 16 partner organisations across 8 countries and is coordinated by Prof. Nina Hermans at the University of Antwerp.

Why BioTransform? Addressing a Critical Knowledge Gap

Scientists know that the gut microbiome – the community of microbes in our digestive tract – plays a vital role in maintaining health and preventing disease, yet there is still much to learn about how these microbes transform the foods we eat. Foods, especially plant-based foods, contain numerous bioactive compounds beyond basic nutrients, but what happens to these compounds after consumption remains largely unexplored. Many commonly consumed products (from fruits to olive oil) are celebrated for their health benefits against chronic conditions like obesity or diabetes, but often the active substances and mechanisms behind those benefits are unknown. BioTransform aims to fill this gap by uncovering the metabolic fates of food bioactives in the human body and determining how these biotransformation products contribute to the beneficial effects of diet. This knowledge could help explain why certain diets or foods are protective and could inform the development of new nutritional strategies or therapies in the future.

An Innovative Research Approach

BioTransform is driven by the idea that the real health-promoting agents in food may not be the original compounds but their metabolites – the products formed when the gut microbiome breaks them down. To test this, the project will map how selected food bioactives are transformed in the human body and assess the biological activity of the resulting metabolites.

As a proof of concept, BioTransform will study bioactives from olive products (Olea europaea) and bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), representing Mediterranean and Northern European diets. Both foods are linked to metabolic health benefits, yet the exact compounds responsible remain unclear.

Consortium

The project brings together 16 partners across eight European countries, including nine leading universities and research institutes and seven associated partners from academia and the private sector. 

Become a Doctoral Candidate at BioTransform

BioTransform will recruit 11 enthusiastic, talented and driven doctoral candidates who are highly motivated to become interdisciplinary and competent researchers and professionals in the area of health and food science. The recruitment process runs from October 2025 to March 2026. Details on the open positions, eligibility criteria and application process is available on the project website.