A panel of longevity experts will delve into the microbiome’s crucial role in healthy aging in the new longevity feature during the upcoming IPA World Congress + Probiota, which will be held in Copenhagen, Feb. 5 to 7.
Panelists, including Balen, will discuss the latest research on prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics, examining their potential to extend healthspan.
According to Balen, while the rapid growing interest in biohacking means more intervention studies are looking to optimize the microbiome for longevity, many approaches often lack scientific rigor and deep molecular analysis, limiting overall impact.
For him, the microbiome is “incredibly moldable and dynamic and responds rapidly to environmental and internal changes”.
“This makes it a powerful tool for detecting and addressing shifts in systemic biology,” he told NutraIngredients.
What does Ani Biome do?
Ani Biome is setting out to launch a new era of personalized, predictive healthcare by decoding human biology through advanced AI, multi-omics analysis and digital health tracking.
Its invite-only, in-progress trial, collects and integrates diverse biological and lifestyle data, leveraging machine learning to generate personalized interventions— wellness plans—that aim to enhance longevity and reduce inflammation by optimizing gut health.
The company’s mission, Balen explained, is to redefine human potential by transforming data into actionable strategies for long-term vitality and well-being.
“We believe the future of longevity lies in our slogan— the longevity drug will not be a molecule but an algorithm,” he said.
“This algorithm is powered by our digital biomarker system, which integrates data from the world’s largest multi-omics dataset.”
The platform uses 39 machine learning algorithms and more than 50 intelligent agents that work together to provide fully personalized insights, Balen continued, noting that the system is already in use by multiple longevity companies, clinics and universities worldwide.
The role of the microbiome in longevity
By integrating microbiome data with neurobiology, immunology, and systemic biology—a framework Balen calls Affectoneuroimmunology—Ani Biome is working to “map and modulate the mind, reprogram cellular memory and address entropy within the body that drives aging.”
“In essence, the microbiome serves as a dynamic checkpoint, reflecting broader systemic changes,” he said.
“By addressing microbiome shifts within the context of the entire organism, we aim to reshape the trajectory of aging biology and help individuals maintain resilience, adaptability and health.”
As people age, their microbiome undergoes significant changes, including a decline in alpha diversity, which reflects microbial variety.
Beneficial species like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii decrease, while opportunistic or pathogenic species grow. These shifts can contribute to systemic inflammation, also known as inflammaging, weaken immune function and compromise gut barrier integrity.
However, it remains unclear to researchers whether changes in the microbiome cause healthspan decline or if a declining healthspan disrupts the microbiome.
What is understood, Balen said, is that the microbiome serves as an “excellent checkpoint for biological deviations, reflecting the body’s overall state.”
Therefore, the company is essentially building a digital twin of the human body, mapping every interaction across molecular, cellular and systemic levels.
He explained that Ani Biome research has found that personalized interventions using complex blends of small molecules can mitigate age-related changes by not only restoring microbiome diversity but also by reducing inflammatory markers systemically, as demonstrated by blood analysis.
“By personalizing these blends, we mimic the biology of younger organisms and optimize resilience at the cellular, tissue and systemic levels.
“We aim to create a mirror of the individual’s biological state, integrating data across omics layers to address aging biology comprehensively.”
Common misconceptions about probiotics
Every action, whether taking a probiotic, supplement or peptide, initiates a molecular cascade effect, Balen said, adding that lifestyle changes like diet and exercise are important, they are not enough in isolation.
“We are committed to understanding their molecular mechanisms—what is actually happening on a cellular and biochemical level when someone fasts, exercises or changes their diet,” he explained.
He said that a common misconception is that probiotics are meant to repopulate the gut microbiome, when in reality, probiotics function as signals, triggering molecular and systemic responses rather than becoming permanent members of the microbiome.
“These signals can act early in the gut or downstream in the body, influencing pathways far beyond digestion,” he said, noting that it is an “overhyped belief” that a single probiotic strain will have universal effects and oversimplifies the complexity of biology.
For Balen, the key to optimizing gut health for longevity is for the synergistic effects of probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics are applied as part of adaptive, personalized co-therapies.
“By mapping how these components interact with a host’s unique biology, they can be connected to metabolic patterns, downstream effects and resilience-building mechanisms,” he said.
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