Newly released data shows that nine in ten babies lack critical gut microbes needed for healthy development.
Persephone’s Daily Synergistic Synbiotic, built on the largest and most comprehensive U.S. infant gut microbiome study, can help restore them.
In just over a month, 10,000 parents and caregivers joined the waitlist for Persephone’s science-driven synbiotic designed to restore critical gut microbes in babies.
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Persephone Biosciences, a pioneering biotech company focused on unlocking the potential of the microbiome to impact human health, today announced the launch of its first consumer product: a daily synergistic synbiotic for infants and toddlers. This synbiotic pairs probiotics (beneficial live bacteria) with specific prebiotics (the fibers that feed them), to help the gut microbiome thrive and develop to support lifelong health. Yesterday, the company announced that in just over a month’s time, 10,000 parents and caregivers joined the waitlist for Persephone’s science-driven synbiotic designed to restore critical gut microbes in babies.
Today’s launch follows Communication Biology’s (a Nature portfolio journal) publication of findings from the My Baby Biome study. Led by the team at Persephone, this is the largest and most comprehensive study ever conducted in the U.S. to map the infant gut microbiome. This landmark research revealed that nine in ten babies are missing keystone strains of Bifidobacterium — beneficial microbes that were once universally present in healthy infants but are now disappearing due to modern practices. These strains play a central role in the early development of the immune system. Persephone’s synbiotic – which also contains Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs, or breast milk sugars) – is designed to replace missing bacterial strains that were once standard in the microbiome, helping restore balance to the infant microbiome and support lifelong health.
“As a mom and a scientist, I know how important it is to get this right. We’re doing something that’s never been done before — helping babies regain the essential bacteria they need for lifelong health,” said Stephanie Culler, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder of Persephone Biosciences.
Persephone’s mission was inspired by founder and CEO Stephanie Culler’s own personal losses at a young age. Culler received a PhD from the California Institute of Technology focused on developing new cancer therapies, and later a career studying the microbiome and its impact on human health. From these meaningful experiences, Persephone was born.
“We’ve seen alarming increases in immune-driven conditions like eczema, food allergy, type 1 diabetes, and more. What’s driving this increase? These are all defects of the immune system—and what informs and imprints that system is a baby’s gut microbiome,” said Richard Insel, M.D., Persephone’s Chief Medical Advisor and Research Professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, and former Head of Pediatric Health and Wellness at Kenvue (formerly Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health). “It is clear that the infant gut microbiome today in industrialized societies is different than in the past with loss of keystone, pioneer microbes. The good news is that this significant deficit is addressable.”
Culler added, “Research shows the problem is complex, and the solution is simple and safe, which is exactly what we’ve built in Persephone – a quality product, based on science, that I’ve been giving to my own child. Moreover, it’s the first synbiotic to receive the Clean Label Project’s First 1,000 Days Promise. Every parent worries about their child’s well-being. We’re proud to create a product to help parents worry a little less.”
Product Details:
The only infant and toddler probiotic designed for the modern microbiome — Persephone’s Daily Synergistic Synbiotic (pre + probiotic) is uniquely built to replenish key beneficial microbes missing in nine out of ten babies today. Each serving also delivers 400 IU of Vitamin D, the daily recommended amount for infants.
A one-of-a-kind formulation of keystone strains — Persephone’s Daily Synergistic Synbiotic is the only product to combine this exact set of four naturally occurring strains from healthy infants: two proprietary Bifidobacterium infantis (the keystone species disappearing from modern babies’ guts), plus Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum, which play essential supporting roles in early gut development and during the transition to solid foods.
Designed to thrive, not just survive — unlike standard probiotics, Persephone is a true synergistic synbiotic: pairing its keystone probiotic strains with a precise prebiotic blend of human breast milk sugars (2-FL, LNT, 6-SL, and 3-SL). These nutrients are the only ones proven to fuel colonization, ensuring the microbes fully establish in the gut to deliver lasting benefits. It is the only synbiotic to include HMOs representing all three structural classes in breast milk.
Science-driven, not outdated — while most probiotics fail to produce the vital metabolites that shape a healthy microbiome since they can’t consume breast milk sugars and rely on decades-old strains irrelevant to today’s infants, Persephone’s Daily Synergistic Synbiotic reflects the needs of modern babies’ microbiomes, informed by the largest U.S. infant microbiome study.
Clinically validated — tested in ARTEMIS, Persephone’s randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the largest infant/toddler microbiome trial of its kind in the U.S.
Uncompromising quality and safety — every batch tested at Eurofins for heavy metals, allergens, and contaminants, and independently certified by the Clean Label Project’s First 1000 Days Promise, which enforces the most stringent standards for products used by mothers, infants, and young children.
Daily, seamless use — a flavorless fine powder that mixes easily into any liquid or soft food. Gentle for infants, simple for parents.
Two targeted formulations, one science-backed standard — Bloom (for infants) and Thrive (for toddlers), available online starting at $64.95 for a 30-day supply. Pricing reflects the rigorous science, clinical validation, and uncompromising quality behind the product.
Culler continued, “Persephone’s Daily Synergistic Synbiotic is available starting today at Persephone.bio. Parents deserve more than just a product, so we’re building real support alongside it, including Gut Microbiome 101 workshops, easy to use guides for communicating to your pediatrician, and an ‘Ask Stephanie’ series where no question is off-limits. At Persephone we’re establishing the standard of care for the microbiome, with the kind of support that every parent needs to feel confident in caring for their child’s lifelong health.”
About Persephone Biosciences
Persephone is a pioneering biotech company reimagining infant and patient health using rigorous clinical research to unlock the potential of the gut microbiome to prevent and treat disease. Persephone is backed by notable investors including Y Combinator, Fifty Years, Susa Ventures, American Cancer Society’s BrightEdge Fund, Pioneer Fund, First Bight Ventures, Propel Bio Partners, Ocampo Capital, Mesa Verde Partners and Capita3. Our My Baby Biome study uncovered the widespread gaps in modern infant gut health. Learn more at www.persephone.bio. For high res imagery, please visit this drive.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/48d7d043-fb60-4c51-88f1-eb3d5226edcd