A New Zealand based global dairy processing company has partnered with a University College Cork research firm to establish a new research centre to investigate the role of probiotics in human health and wellness.

It is the first time that Fonterra, which has operations across the southern hemisphere, will have established a team in Ireland.

The Fonterra Microbiome Research Centre will be based in APC Microbiome, a scientific research company established in UCC in 2003.

The aim of the collaboration is to develop novel probiotic strains with targeted health benefits for consumers. The two companies have previously partnered on projects.

Dr Mark Malone, Director of Research and Development at Fonterra, said: “APC’s expertise in investigating microbiome-host interaction mechanisms makes it the perfect place to develop an evidence portfolio for new probiotics.

“The establishment of this new Fonterra Microbiome Research Centre … will serve as a crucial hub for identifying and substantiating the health benefits of our probiotics, accelerating our ability to introduce innovative strains to the market with greater speed and precision.”

The role that gut microbionta plays in human health is already recognised and the area has become a focus of research in both the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

APC Microbiome has presiously established itself as a leading centre in gut microbiota research.

Prof Paul Ross, director of the company, said that it was “crucial for APC to forge partnerships with industry partners to translate our research into products accessible to the general public.

“We have established a rewarding collaborative relationship with Fonterra and are very excited about the promise of Fonterra’s Microbiome Research Centre in our vicinity.”

An expanded research team for the Fonterra Microbiome Research Centre is now being recruited with the intention the new centre will be operational by the end of the year.