Next-Generation Probiotics: Predicting Which Strains Will Stay
Most probiotics fail because they do not stay in the host. They work only while you keep dosing—stop applying, and the benefit fades. This is the bottleneck that limits probiotic use across aquaculture, agriculture, and conservation.
We call the solution next-generation probiotics: strains selected for durable host association before benefit is tested. Our new preprint shows how it works. We screened over 1,200 marine bacterial isolates and identified a Ruegeria population, MC10, carrying genomic signatures of host dependency. After a single nursery inoculation, strain MC10-B4 persisted in a live host for 8 months, including through a natural heat-stress event, and improved thermal tolerance.
The key advance is predictive: we select for persistence first. That means fewer re-applications, lower costs, and more reliable field results.
Source: Evolutionary genomics predicts probiotic persistence in corals. bioRxiv 2025.06.16.659728.
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