10173596Genetic Fortress - A safer chassis for smarter probioticsClosedFast Start ResponseInnovate UKThis project will develop a next-generation probiotic strain designed to support safety and reliability in health and nutrition applications. The aim is to create a strain that is more resistant to unwanted genetic changes and better suited for use in regulated or sensitive environments. Probiotics are widely used to support gut health, immune function, and wellbeing. However, there is growing awareness that some probiotic strains can exchange genes with surrounding microbes in the gut, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance. This raises safety concerns for products used in vulnerable populations or tightly regulated sectors, such as medical nutrition, animal health, or infant care. Our project will address this by building a probiotic strain with a set of natural defence systems that help prevent the uptake of foreign DNA. This reduces the risk of the strain acquiring or spreading antimicrobial resistance genes during use. The strain will also include an internal shutdown mechanism, designed to reduce its survival outside the gut, supporting environmental safety and product stewardship. We will base our work on _Clostridium butyricum_, a well-known probiotic species that produces butyrate, a compound with demonstrated benefits for gut health and inflammation. Although widely used in parts of Asia, its broader adoption has been limited by safety and performance considerations. This project aims to unlock its potential by improving its stability and containment profile. The final strain will be made available for use under licence, and the underlying approach will be offered as a specialist development service to companies working in microbiome and probiotic innovation.