The Netherlands has launched a major public–private effort to map and model microbiomes across humans, animals, plants, soils and the environment. One participant in this national initiative is [InnerBuddies participating in the Dutch Holomicrobiome Groeifonds Project](https://www.innerbuddies.com/blogs/news/innerbuddies-participating-in-the-dutch-holomicrobiome-groeifonds-project), which brings the company’s gut microbiome expertise into a consortium funded in 2024 by a €200 million allocation from the National Growth Fund. Objective and scope The Holomicrobiome Groeifonds project aims to integrate microbiome research across disciplines to enhance health and sustainability, foster economic growth, and advance scientific understanding. Participating universities, university medical centers, research institutes, private companies and government ministries seek to develop interoperable data, shared methods and models that can be applied across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, water management and environmental protection. Consortium and expertise This consortium includes ten Dutch universities and five university medical centers, research organizations such as the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and KWR Water Research Institute, and private sector partners from startups to global companies. The project is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) alongside health authorities, reflecting a cross-sectoral ambition to translate microbiome science into practice while addressing ethical and regulatory considerations. Research priorities and open questions Key topics include microbiome interactions across ecosystems, the role of microbiomes in disease prevention and antibiotic resistance, applications in agriculture and sustainability, environmental microbiomes (water, air, soil), personalized microbiome-based healthcare and diagnostics, microbiome-driven biotechnology, the microbiome’s influence on aging, and ethical and regulatory frameworks. Addressing these questions requires large-scale, standardized sampling, longitudinal cohorts, advanced bioinformatics and multidisciplinary collaborations. InnerBuddies’ role InnerBuddies contributes its expertise in gut microbiome analysis, interpretation and personalized nutritional guidance to the Holomicrobiome Institute’s portfolio of studies and translation activities. The company is also developing a soils-focused spinoff, InnerSoils, which aligns with the project’s inclusion of soil microbiomes and agricultural applications. InnerBuddies’ involvement links human-focused microbiome science with broader ecosystem and agricultural research efforts, supporting comparative studies and translational pipelines across domains. Related resources and previous work For context on InnerBuddies’ approaches to personalized ingredient advice and testing, see the company’s study results in a small friends-and-family cohort: Test results of InnerBuddies personalized ingredient advice (friends & family study). For practical guidance on diet and gut health relevant to some microbiome interventions, consult the FODMAP primer: The FODMAP diet: A beginner's guide. Broader implications The Holomicrobiome Groeifonds project represents an effort to produce reproducible data, support evidence-based interventions and inform policy. Collaborative platforms that link human, animal, plant and environmental microbiome data may enable new diagnostics, targeted interventions and sustainable biotechnologies, while also raising questions about regulation, equity and long-term monitoring. Additional technical and service information can be found via project participants and product listings such as microbiome test where described by participating organizations.