Microbiome analysis improves animal health

By Roseli Andrion  |  FAPESP Innovative R&D – When Brazilian biologists Flávio de Oliveira Francisco and Alan Branco returned from their postdoctoral studies in the United States in 2016, they brought back more than scientific knowledge. They also brought an entrepreneurial vision conceived in the corridors of Harvard University. This experience led them to found Genobiomas in 2018 and, later, to branch out into the pet sector in 2022 with Petbiomas. Today, Petbiomas is the only company in Latin America that specializes in microbiome analysis for pets.

However, the journey was not linear. What began as an innovative solution for Brazilian pig farming – a sector that generates billions in revenues and faces constant cost-related challenges – has transformed into a business focused on the pet market. According to the Brazilian Association of the Pet Products Industry (ABINPET) in partnership with the Pet Brazil Institute (IPB), this segment earned more than 77 billion Brazilian reais (BRL) in 2024, a 12% increase over 2023.

In Boston, the birthplace of some of the world’s greatest technological innovations, Francisco and Branco immersed themselves in an environment where science and business connect naturally. The region is home to numerous universities and research centers, as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology giants that transform laboratories into billion-dollar companies.

In this unique ecosystem, postdoctoral students and CEOs attend the same lectures. The duo then absorbed a fundamental lesson: complex problems require scientific solutions, but those solutions need a market to thrive. “We were in Boston and there were many entrepreneurship workshops for students,” Francisco recalls.

Microbiota as the key

Upon returning to Brazil, the pair focused on a very Brazilian challenge: local pork producers have very tight profit margins. “They sell pork at a price very close to the cost of production,” the researcher explains. “The profit can be in the order of cents or a few reais per kilo of animal, and it isn’t uncommon for them to make losses.”

According to data from the Brazilian Association of Pig Farmers (ABCS) based on statistics from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazil is the world’s fourth-largest pork producer. However, in 2024, production remained stable, with growth of only 0.8%. The main culprit in this scenario is feed based on corn and soybeans, whose crops are almost entirely exported. This leaves the domestic market dependent on expensive products and subject to fluctuations in the dollar.

The pair of biologists saw an opportunity to use their knowledge of gut microbiota to help pigs reach their ideal slaughter weight while consuming less feed. Gut microbiota refers to the set of microorganisms (mainly bacteria) present in an animal’s intestine. It plays a fundamental role in digestion, immunity, and even behavior. “It’s like an invisible organ that regulates various physiological functions.”

Antibiotics in the crosshairs

With support from FAPESP’s Innovative Research in Small Businesses Program (PIPE), they developed their first project and proved that pigs could grow equally while eating less. However, while participating in the High-Tech Entrepreneurship Training Program (PIPE Empreendedor), they noticed another issue: international pressure to eliminate growth-promoting antibiotics.

These drugs are administered to animals in low doses daily to prevent infections in intensive farming, where many animals are kept in close quarters. This practice raises concerns about bacterial resistance. “If one animal gets sick, they all get sick,” says Francisco. “For those who already have a very small profit margin, this can represent a huge loss.”

The solution proposed by Genobiomas was to use bacteriophages, viruses that attack specific bacteria, to replace antibiotics against Salmonella and Escherichia coli, the main pathogens in pig farming. After nine months of laboratory work, the team found bacteriophages that were effective against these bacteria.

However, when it came time to start testing on live animals, the scientists encountered regulatory barriers. “The regulatory process would take too long. If the solution were categorized as a drug, for example, it could take 10 to 15 years to be approved.”

Change of course

In March 2020, the researchers were ready to test the solution on animals. However, the arrival of the pandemic made accessing farms difficult, and they lost all the trust they had built with pig farmers. “At that point, continuing the project became unfeasible,” Francisco summarizes.

The duo then discovered an American company operating in the pet microbiome sector. Since regulations for companion animals in Brazil are less stringent than those for production animals, and since the pet market was showing signs of explosive growth, the startup decided to focus on this segment.

The 12% growth of the Brazilian pet sector in 2024 reflects the increasing humanization of pets, which are now treated as family members. Unlike in pig farming, where additional costs are problematic, cost is not an issue in the pet market because it concerns the health of a family member.

Genobiomas then created the Petbiomas brand to serve this market. “Generally, the owners who come to us have pets with chronic diarrhea, even after trying several treatments,” says Francisco. The service is relatively simple: veterinarians or pet owners collect samples of the animal’s feces, which are analyzed in a laboratory to determine the types of bacteria present in the intestine.

After identifying the bacteria, the startup team offers personalized suggestions. “If a dog’s bacterial profile shows that it lacks bacteria that digest fiber, for example, we suggest adding more fiber to its diet,” he explains. For more severe cases, the company refers clients to veterinarians who perform fecal transplants – a procedure in which feces from a healthy animal are transplanted into a sick animal to rebalance its microbiota.

Supplement line

While speaking with veterinarians, the scientists realized that these professionals want more than diagnoses; they want solutions to the issues they’ve identified. So, Petbiomas started developing a line of supplements. The first product is a synbiotic, a mixture of probiotics (live beneficial microorganisms) and prebiotics (food for gut bacteria).

According to Francisco, it is still common in Brazil to use human strains in probiotics for pets. “This limits the results,” he points out. Petbiomas, on the other hand, uses specific strains for pets, and their treatments are longer and more effective. The company also develops fiber supplements and skin products based on an individualized analysis of each animal.

One of the main challenges Petbiomas faced was educational. “As it’s an innovative technology, many veterinarians are only now beginning to encounter this type of solution,” Francisco explains. For this reason, many pet owners find the company through online research, especially those whose animals have chronic diseases.

The startup plans to develop capsules for fecal transplants, which are administered orally to repopulate the intestines of sick animals with beneficial bacteria. Currently, the company assists veterinarians and pet owners in purchasing the product from a partner in the U.S. “We want to develop it here in Brazil, but we’re aware of the regulatory difficulties.”

Future prospects

The transition from academia to entrepreneurship was difficult for the researchers. “It’s hard to stop thinking like a scientist,” Francisco admits. “To become an entrepreneur, you need to know that you’ll have to develop many new skills and always keep an open mind to learn.”

Versatility and the ability to apply solid scientific knowledge to different contexts may be key to the future of science-based entrepreneurship in Brazil. “Can scientists be entrepreneurs? Yes, scientists can be anything,” says Francisco.