About the Authors

Sebastiano Collino

sebastiano.collino@rd.nestle.com

Affiliation Proteomics and Metabonomics, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Campus EPFL, Quartier de l'innovation, Lausanne, Switzerland

Ivan Montoliu

Affiliation Applied Mathematics, NESTEC SA, Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland

François-Pierre J. Martin

Affiliation Proteomics and Metabonomics, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Campus EPFL, Quartier de l'innovation, Lausanne, Switzerland

Max Scherer

Affiliation Proteomics and Metabonomics, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Campus EPFL, Quartier de l'innovation, Lausanne, Switzerland

Daniela Mari

Affiliations Department of Medical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy, Geriatric Unit Ca' Grande Foundation Maggiore Policlinico Hospital, Milan, Italy

Stefano Salvioli

Affiliations Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, Interdepartmental Centre L. Galvani, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Laura Bucci

Affiliations Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, Interdepartmental Centre L. Galvani, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Rita Ostan

Affiliations Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, Interdepartmental Centre L. Galvani, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Daniela Monti

Affiliation Department of Experimental Pathology and Oncology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

Elena Biagi

Affiliation Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Patrizia Brigidi

Affiliation Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Claudio Franceschi

Affiliations Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, Interdepartmental Centre L. Galvani, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Serge Rezzi

Affiliation Proteomics and Metabonomics, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Campus EPFL, Quartier de l'innovation, Lausanne, Switzerland

Competing Interests

Authors SC, FPM, MS, SR are employees of Nestlè Institute of Health Science SA. Author IM is an employee of Nestec S.A. There are no products in development or marketed products to declare. Five patents were filed based on the results presented in the paper. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Performed the initial gut microbiota studies: EB PB. Provided samples from Down's Syndrome subjects: SS. Provided the aging cohort samples: D. Mari. Conceived and designed the experiments: CF. Performed the experiments: SC MS. Analyzed the data: FPM IM D. Monti LB RO. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MS. Wrote the paper: SC CF SR.